Chapter 5

Planning for the Future

 

They ate dinner prior to Charlotte’s training in the evening time. The one sitting at the end of the table wiped his face with a napkin before looking to the auburn sitting to his left. “I’ve informed the state that you are in my keeping for the time being.” While Simone had wanted to keep Charlotte’s identity a secret, Elliot had mentioned that there might have been a snake hiding in their midst ever since the fall of fleet admiral Rothschild’s estate. So without Charlotte’s full permission, he revealed to the state that a Lottie Lionsheart was found by the Protectors. This group was an unknown group of men and women working toward the sanctity of keeping the stone safe and put under their protection until further notice. It was a secret organization only known by close family members or those who had been affected by the stone in their lives.

While the state found the Protectors to be a justified entity that took up only one percent of the actual government officials, the higher ups did find that the Protectors were estranged to search of the Relic stones. As the pirates continued to search for their fabled item of lore, the Protectors would step in and protect the rights to those stones. This only caused the pirates to consider the small government team as a baneful existence to deal with. According to the pirates’ rumors, for the past eleven years, the original stone managed to escape any of the parties’ notices. There was even discussion of someone already being in possession of the stone but were actually in the Protector Program to keep it safe. This though did not stop the pirates from flying themselves into a frenzy, trying to find this fabled item. In consequence, it was shown through the many towns getting destroyed and causing many homeless victims seeking refuge within the state.

And just as Elliot suspected someone would, an insightful eyewitness from the state revealed that Charlotte Rothschild had somehow possibly survived the attack on the estate. Conspiracy theories began to pop up on the frontlines of the newspapers with the stories of her being rescued by several vessels nearby. These newspapers littered the streets for weeks with faces of young girls fitting the description of the seventeen-year-old Rothschild heiress.

Unfortunately, these news articles didn’t do any good for these innocent girls. If any of the girls whose faces appeared on the newspaper were found, they were met with a pitiful end. The state put an end to the rumors declaring that Charlotte Rothschild was to be known as killed in action until she stepped forward proving her lineage, thus ending the acts of piracy against any other innocent girls.

The state offered other news about the Division, that the prized vessel that Elliot Cheric first built for Earl Drummond had been decimated with a majority of its crew fatally injured or found to be in the care of Olivia Cheric. Some newspapers weren’t deterred in attempting to piece together their delivery routes compared to the time of attack on the estate. According to the previous report given to the state via telecom, the Division had been one of the first fleets on scene at the estate. While they had not disclosed picking up any individuals, it could have been a cover-up to protect the identities of those survivors. This led some reporters to begin their speculation about Charlotte Rothschild possibly resting at the Cheric estate to recuperate from the attack and unfortunate storm. Some other papers wrote that it could have been possible that she had disappeared into the depths of the sea. While it was a small action in itself, it created a domino effect of larger proportions upon the general populations within Chiariotti, the region the Cheric household resided in. Higher rates of piracy started to spike on the borders along the sea and even affected the coasts of Gailyna and Zyttle.

From the main branch of the state, there was a consensus that the state’s main Admiral Force Fleet (AFF) would make temporary quarters within Olivia Cheric’s estate to prevent an attack on the same scale at the estate to happen, much to the inventor’s anguish. It was from that moment many statesmen and stateswomen from all different classes and ranks filtered into the main countryside of Chiariotti. With Etrius, the main state headquarters being so close to Chiariotti’s borders, it only added the amount of guardsmen and personnel being set over.

Reaching the third month of her sudden appearance, she was living within the estate of Simone and Elliot. The girl had just finished eating dinner with Elliot Cheric and Simone De La Croix. They had taken to evening sit-down dinners twice a week to discuss the recent events going on in the world. They typically did this not only to keep her current events up-to-date but also to inform her of her role in this war against the pirates. It was also a clue to her that something catastrophic was about to occur.

Her ominous feelings were not put to rest as Elliot shared with her a recent letter from a prominent upper-rank admiral named Andrew Nielson. It had contained details about the attack at the fleet admiral’s estate to the decimation of the Deserted Islands. Pirate captains started to make their comeback as Nico Guarneri’s actions as the conspirator for the bloody reign of pirates steadily increased. All the while, the pirates fueled their assaults based upon their search for the fabled Relic stones. It was mentioned in his letter that the decisive battle two months prior where Guarneri’s forces dealt Nielsen a tremendous and nasty defeat, resulting in his naval ship being sunk and crew retreating. The rash decision of aggressiveness was the downfall to many state ships sailing after the demise of their fleet admiral Gerald Rothschild. As the letter stated, Andrew Nielsen was not exempt from that rash blindness of emotions dealing with their top leaders’ murderers.

Within this certain letter revealed Nielsen seeking refuge with Elliot and Simone, but not to regain his strength and attack again.

 

I have read reports of a stray girl living with the owners, Elliot Cheric and Simone De La Croix. I beseech the owners of the estate to supply me with a job in protecting and educating the girl known as Lottie Lionsheart. The reason for why I am applying for such a position is because I have been dealt a serious injury that will most definitely affect my leading a crew of abled men and women to battle. And as such, I am requesting to be placed in a more suitable position. I am well-versed in the English language and do have an accreditation from the academy to teach privately. I also have experience guarding young masters and mistresses from previous orders and details. I hope to hear favorable words from you in regards to this request.

 

Much obliged,

Andrew Nielson

 

Simone read the letter to the young girl before catching her eyes. He knew that with her name flying around the continent as the girl who survived Zaine’s wrath would attract anyone and everything to her. This, of course, was the main reason for changing her name as such to protect her whereabouts. And if he was correct in his intuitions, she had a deeper power surging deep inside her that could end this senseless war once and for all.

“Elliot and I have known him since we were children. We can vouch for his character. But what do you think? Would you like to start some studies to take your mind off the current events?” Elliot nodded in agreement with Simone before taking a bite from his steak.

“I think it would be beneficial for you to have someone at your side,” Elliot mentioned nonchalantly. “There are plenty of people that would betray you for riches and empty promises. I think it would be wise to have someone who can keep an eye on you.”

Charlotte felt a flush rise above her cheekbones before placing her silverware on the tablecloth. “I feel like you’ve already approved of this man and have sent for him.” She narrowed her eyes at Simone since between the two of them, he was more susceptible to reveal himself.

“We have,” Elliot bluntly replied much to the chagrin of Charlotte. “It will be good for you, and likewise, we will benefit from having another prominent official in our hand.” He paused before closing his eyes. “I know you have written dozens of letters to my sister, asking her of her well-being, and if you allow Nielson to be your tutor, I will allow you to send your letters to her.”

Simone smiled. “Though you cannot mention the whereabouts of where this estate is nor can you reveal yourself as Charlotte Rothschild. The Lottie Lionsheart sitting before us is the only way we will refer to you as. Do you understand this, Charlotte?”

She was excited to finally hear that her letters could finally be sent, but with great rewards come great consequences she feared. “I understand, Simone, Elliot.” She smiled intently at her food. “As long as I can talk with Olivia and the others, I am content with any price even if it is having a bodyguard impersonating as my English teacher.”

Simone chuckled. “True, Andrew Nielson is your bodyguard, but he will also be looking over your studies. A week from now, you will be guided through a pivotal and rigid educational structure that will fundamentally help you as if you were studying at the state academy.”

Charlotte felt her jaw drop. “But I haven’t been enrolled in school since I was thirteen! How will I learn everything when I’m so far behind?”

Elliot rubbed a napkin to his lips, signaling the end of their dinner discussion. “It will take some patience, though I fear for Mr. Nielson more so than you. Watching Simone instruct you from the Relic stones to fencing is enough to make any instructor not want you as a student.”

Charlotte fumed in her seat. “I will take that as an insult, sir.”

“Good, it was meant as one,” he replied, and she became quite flustered.

“She wasn’t that bad of a student, a bit clumsy but highly intelligent.” Simone laughed into his napkin, not appearing to care about his reputation in the dinner hall.

“Excuse us. Simone and I have previous engagements to attend to. Find yourself a small room to hole up in and please do not destroy any more of my walls,” Elliot remarked after taking one last bite off his plate. He picked his napkin off the table to wipe his chin before getting up to leave.

Simone started to follow his example, and Charlotte remained where she was, still eating the rest of her dinner. “I only tripped on the corner of the bookshelf. How was I supposed to know it would knock over three more in its wake?”

 

۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞

 

Walking had been a chore for the past couple of months when he first arrived at the Cheric estate. When he was brought in by Radium, the host like robot from the ship, he had been required to undergo surgery to repair the tissue and tendon in his quadriceps tendon.

He also found out that it was quite the painful experience, even with some anesthesia pumped through his veins.

Cheric had said that her robots were meticulous in their work and hadn’t failed in a surgery yet but that keyword caused some anxiety to rise. Luckily, when he awoke again, he found himself put back together with over forty stitches, a locked knee brace around his leg, and crutches. It would take him two months to rehabilitate his body physique enough to walk with crutches and potentially another two to four months with the knee brace.

He wasn’t the only one who had to undergo surgery though. Aden had been taken into surgery just like he did when they first arrived. The deep laceration across his back had been deep and jagged, making normal stitching useless by themselves. If the male was lucky, he would barely have a scar on his back.

They did put some stitches underneath the skin so that his muscles that had been gashed would heal, but they still required more. Sutures were used to hold the lacerations together before they finally added the saline and gauze over top. With the way the nurse robots performed, Aden was recovering slowly, taking only two to three weeks to fully walk straight.

Damien could still remember that grievous hour when they were repairing Aden’s back because of the way his younger brother was cursing and wincing. He didn’t know if she was tired of the screaming or genuinely cared about him because when she interrupted the operation by giving Radium a large dose of anesthesia, she exclaimed, “Shut him up or put him down! I have work that needs to be done!”

Needless to say, these were all the memories dancing through the mind of the one hobbling down the hall. He had been granted without his brace finally and was still getting used to slightly bending his knee. Damien was still using his crutches, but at least, it meant he was on a road to recovery.

“Yo!” Damien stopped as a familiar husky voice appeared behind him. “Damien, where are you going on that gimp leg?”

Xavier was probably one of the luckiest of them, having only a few scratches and cuts. Damien waited for Xavier to walk up beside him before trudging along again with his crutches.

“Cheric called me to her office. She said it would be my rehabilitative workout for the next week until she could find another mindless activity for me to do.” Xavier crossed his arms over his torso.

“Hopefully, it is something more lenient. Regardless, I’d hate to be on the receiving end like you are.” Then his older brother laughed. Damien grimaced, thinking the same thing as his older predecessor. He was going to reply with something back, but that was when the hallway split into two separate ways.

“Well, good luck with the Gizmo Queen! Come by the cafeteria later, and we can share war stories!” Then just like that, he was gone. Damien stood awkwardly with two crutches under his shoulders with a head hung low.

“War stories, right. You’re supposed to support your brother in times like this, you know!” he raised his voice slightly so Xavier could still hear him and was welcomed with a slight hand wave over the shoulder and smirk from his older brother. Shaking his head was all he could do to the bemused reaction he received from Xavier and proceeded down the opposite hallway where he knew the genius’s office resided with a moment to think quietly to himself.

He was still weak, walking to and from places, but at least, a majority of the people within the crew and Cheric’s workers did not pity him for his injury. It was the pity and sympathy that he received from those who didn’t know him that really irked him about his injury just because they assumed he would never set sail again.

Aden was in a similar boat, except when people spoke of his injuries, he would kick them out with a ferocity no one would want to approach him for days. His temper flared almost every day when he was bedridden, but luckily, he was only there for a short time. Damien was still confined to the health quarters for another two months.

Without announcing his entrance into her room, the blond male pushed opened the door to see piles of paper, empty root beer bottles, and mechanics all strewn messily upon any and all surfaces of the office. Even the floors had scattered pieces of paper and machines that had been discarded in the recent genius’s rampage.

“Cheric?” Damien questioned, stumbling through the havoc with his crutches. There was no movements being made inside the room, but he could have sworn she said she was going to be holed up performing some tests. “Cheric?”

He pushed some of the papers aside on her oak desk to find Olivia passed out with goggles still attached to her head. She looked ragged, having the lab coat she had been wearing for three days over her shoulders. With her short hair and bangs pointing in whichever direction they had decided to go, Damien had to stop himself from laughing out loud.

“Don’t forget the root beer,” she murmured in her sleep before turning her head into her arm.

He looked around the room then back at the girl sleeping, only to find himself awkwardly trying to look elsewhere. He didn’t know how to wake her up without evoking her wrath, but she was the one who summoned him. The last time someone woke Olivia Cheric up from her sleep, he wound up getting kicked by a machine nearby with a cranky inventor drinking her root beer gleefully.

Deciding it best for his current health to leave the girl as is, he stumbled away from the desk to the windowsill. There was a cushion beside the pane, making it a comfortable and more probable location to sit at than any other place in the room.

Taking a seat on the cushion, he immediately jumped back up from the pillow, wincing. There was something underneath the cushion that was rectangular and hard, and Damien lifted the pillow awkwardly with his hand while still supporting his crutches between his arms. Underneath was an old box with a signet of a family registrar. It was clearly one of the royal naval ones, but Damien never was able to mesmerize them all at the academy.

The lock of the box was open, with the top ajar for any eyes to peer at the inside, and with the curiosity of the unknown, Damien lifted the lid. Inside were three different-colored stones. The one on the left was a bright hue of blue. The middle was a shade of emerald green, and the one on the right was a darker hue of blue. He lifted the one on the left, staring at the brilliance of it. He wondered where Cheric had found these stones, but before he could continue with that train of thought, an air bullet gun was placed beside his head.

“Put those back where you found them. Now.”

Her amethyst eyes sparkled with some darkness that was normally not there before she poked his head with her weapon. The genius had sworn to herself that she would keep all related information about the stones to herself, but after a distressing call from the Deserted Islands where she had picked up Xavier’s crew, she realized that the forces of evil were trailing after something else besides the Relic stones. It appeared that without their knowledge, they had stumbled upon the chessboard like moths to the flame. If they looked at it from an optimistic way, it could have been seen to be the greatest adventure they would ever embark on—but it only was a nuisance to the inventor as she planned for the future.

Though they were overly cautious among themselves, everyone continued to work on getting physically fit to move once again. While Xavier and his crew recovered physically with the help of Olivia’s provisions, it would only be a matter of time before the stones brought more trouble to their side.

“Hobble back. Yes, I said hobble,” she reiterated for him as he did just as she said.

The blond sighed as he tried not to evoke the rest of her wrath. “I didn’t even know they were there until I took a seat. If you didn’t want anyone to find them, you should have locked them in the box and hid them elsewhere. What were you expecting?” he retorted with the weapon in his face. Sure, if she shot him at this distance, it would hurt, but at least, he would live. The only damage it could do would be leaving a red imprint of a bruise on his face.

“I was testing one of the stone’s capacities, and it backfired.” She grasped her head with a free hand while keeping her dominant hand holding her weapon up. “I didn’t have time to lock them before you barged in,” she replied calmly before shaking her head.

Damien scoffed, “How exactly did the stone backfire? Wait, that shouldn’t even be my question. Why do you have the stones in the first place? Does the state know you have them?”

Olivia dropped her weapon from his face and sat down beside the box. “They were given to me, and as much as I would like to destroy them, I can’t.”

Damien felt his eyes bulge. “You’re trying to destroy them? These couldn’t possibly be the stones from the legend? If you destroy them, you’d surely make those pirates go ballistics. They want these as if their life depended upon them. If Aden knew you had them, he would have barged in here himself to take them. He—”

Olivia fired a shot, just in front of where he was standing. It had the effect she was looking for, and she replied callously, “You’re a fool. That legend is nothing more than a fabrication, just like these stones are. The stone you are looking for is somewhere else, and it was used to create more of its own kind. These are the products of trying to reproduce the original stone into duplicates: power stones beyond comprehension.”

Damien soaked in all the information. “How many of these power stones exist then? If the stones are being made from the original, couldn’t that mean there are only a few? You’ve got three in your possession; the state has already won half the battle.”

Olivia shook her head. “That’s where you’re wrong. These stones are three of many. Someone figured out the trick to creating power stones without actually having the original stone.”

Damien paused. “Are the materials that easy to get?”

Olivia stared at him before blankly reciting the ingredients as if it was basic science. “These stones are made from a rare ore mined in northern Seriate, some composites from the southern regions of the Deserted Islands and Wilyza, multiple molecules and atoms mixing and coagulating together, with one more ingredient.”

Damien processed the information before staring at the stones in wonder. “How is that even possible? Is that what we’ve been searching for this entire time?”

Olivia nodded before she leaned back, breathing heavily. Her head was spinning now, and she could barely keep her eyes open. “Like I said, you’re a fool.” She closed her eyes abruptly.

“Oi, what’s wrong? Are you all right?”

She could hear the concern in his voice and processed him hobbling over to the window where she was sitting. The awkward squeak from the crutches informed the girl that he was now sitting right in front of her. “Remember what I said from before: the stone backfired. I’m dealing with a Relic stone inside me at the moment.” She grimaced before clenching her hands into tight fists. “I didn’t think I would be compatible with any of them, but somehow I managed to sync with this one.”

He grasped her hands. “I’ll call over Radium. I’m sure she’ll know what to do.” Only when he pulled his hands away, she reached out to stop him. She looked back outside, shaking her head. Her amethyst eyes darkened. “Don’t. We need to keep the rest a secret. Only you know, but I want to use these stones to smoke out the rat. They’ve been elusive in my investigations, especially after my brother’s announcement about some girl.”

Damien blinked. He had forgotten about Lionsheart for a second. “You’re in no place to speak. You look halfway to death’s door with skin as pale as yours.”

“Don’t you ruin all my hard work, or I’ll have you wishing you did die at sea.” She clenched her eyes shut, banging her head hard against the frame once.

Alarm flashed Damien’s expression, but Olivia murmured out in pain, “Damn it all. It’s like all these schematics, designs, and visions from my failed mechanics keep coming back. I’m slowly realizing what I should have done with the stupid little buggers.” She closed her eyes, her body slightly shaking. “I should have used silicon instead of that faux copper; that probably would have solved the malfunctioning when it transferred fluid. The robots that couldn’t come to life now makes sense as to why they didn’t. I should have done more work upon the vein and capillaries instead of focusing primarily on the nervous system. The respirator system would have also been better suited had it been connected with the heart, like real anatomy.”

He gave her one of the strangest looks while she prattled on about her designs, a majority of it he did not even comprehend. It was through these next two hours that Damien sighed and took her shaking hands into his own. He’d let her ride it out and hope that she regained some color in her pale and shaking body.

“You’ve got time,” he would say. “You can restart those things once you’re better.”

 

۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞

 

An exhausted Damien hobbled with his crutches to the lone cafeteria table. He was looking over the menu for something hot to eat when a familiar figure slid in beside him. Not bothering to look at who it was, Damien passed another menu over.

“Long day?” he asked, hoping his younger brother would be in a better mood.

“If I have to sit through another one of those meetings with the admirals, I will shoot someone.” Aden darkly looked over the menu and sighed. “It’s pirates this, battling against Zaine’s crew that, or collecting materials for materializing more weapons. If the admirals had half a brain, they would have realized their plans are not working and need to find a different order of operation.”

Damien nodded, deciding it was best to change the topic before Aden’s mood soured. “Have you heard anything from that Lionsheart girl yet?”

Before Aden could respond, the familiar blond-haired Anna ran over with her writing pad. “What can I get for you, Captain? First Lieutenant?” She smiled brightly as Damien order a hot bowl of tomato bisque with broccoli on the side. Aden ordered a Reuben with two pickles on the side.

“Coming up. I’ll also bring you two your waters with lemon, just the way you guys like it!” She ran off with Damien’s thanks.

“Two months ago, Cheric told me that she was in her brother’s custody. It’s not our problem anymore.” He tapped his fingers lightly on the table before turning to face Damien. His emerald eyes bore into Damien’s azure ones before narrowing.

“Speaking of Cheric, what were you doing in her office for two and a half hours?”

Damien swallowed slowly. “She had me do some rehab things for my knee.”

“You and I both know you’re a terrible liar.”

Anna had come back with their waters before telling them their food would be out in another three to five minutes. Aden grabbed his glass, drinking slowly.

“She had gotten sick,” Damien started, hoping some truth was better than none. “I was going to call Radium to tend to her, but she reprimanded me. Cheric didn’t want anyone to know.”

Aden frowned. “Hmm.”

“You’re not mad at me, are you?” Damien sighed before taking his own drink into his hands. Last thing he needed was his best friend and captain to be mad at him.

“Do I need a reason to be?” he responded.

“No,” Damien replied, all the while cursing Cheric for making him swear not to tell anyone about the Relic stones she possessed.

 

۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞

 

Charlotte was sitting in her room with a writing utensil in one hand and a parchment in the other. She was trying to write something decent to say to Olivia, but nothing was coming. She had written all those letters months prior, but those weren’t acceptable to the agreements she made with Simone and Elliot.

“How to tell her that I’m alive without informing her that I’m Charlotte Rothschild.” She tapped her quill’s feather to her chin before sighing. Writing was starting to become a chore. “Olivia.”

She stopped before scratching the line out. Knowing Olivia, she would read the letter and then burn it just because it wasn’t interesting enough. Even though Charlotte Rothschild wrote her letters like that, her best friend tended to tease her constantly about how she needed to cut back on all the seriousness. Grabbing a new sheet of paper, she began her writing out Olivia’s nickname in her best handwriting. “Livvy.”

Charlotte beamed. That was better and would get Olivia’s attention since it appeared exciting and brief. 

 

It’s been a long seven months since we last saw each other, and it’s only been three months since my last letter to you. I apologize for being brief, but I promised your brother that I wouldn’t be very verbose. After both of my life-and-death experiences, I’ve gotten more in tune with life. If you were here with me, you’d see that I grew more mature as well. Your brother’s friend had instructed me through my studies as well as my fencing skill. I had hoped to not become a burden on anyone again, but that remains to be unseen. I hope you are doing well despite all the troubles brewing upon the sea.

I also wish to know the details of your invention: Charie. Hopefully, you didn’t make her into scrap metal. I know deep down, you cherish that invention since she was one of your firsts. Give my regards to the Division’s crewmen. I only boarded with them briefly, but it was fun. Despite the fact we capsized a week later.

Yours truly,

Lottie Lionsheart

 

Charlotte looked over the contents before nodding. The last paragraph was all she needed to prove who she really was. After all, Olivia never told anyone about Charie except for Charlotte Rothschild. It wasn’t like the inventor flat out told her she was creating a similar drone to her build, but one day while she was visiting, she stumbled upon the robot she barely finished. Of course, after receiving a beating from said best friend, the inventor had explained that she could never truly capture the one soul quality she had tried to make.

It still made Charlotte wonder what quality Olivia was trying to recreate, but now that they were leagues away from each other, only time would tell. “Please get this, Olivia.”

 

۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞

 

A couple of weeks passed before Olivia finally allowed herself out of her office. She didn’t know how to focus her new powers, but after some isolation, she found it eerily soothing. While she should have been cursing it, she had found it to be quite beneficial in her work. She was intrigued at how many of her old machines she was able to fix and maintain now that she was interested. Everything she created from her secretaries’ drawn-out blueprints had been an easy build as her hands did all the work.

She had finally been able to make a robotic Great Dane that could eat all her empty root beer bottles once she was finished drinking them too. The Dane was like a living animal; where it needed to eat for fuel and energy, so she incorporated the robotic Great Dane to eat any recyclables. Unfortunately, she hadn’t come up with a name for it just yet. She figured it would hit her like all the other machinery she named; it was just a matter of time.

Belle, relieved to see that her lady was out and about the estate, greeted her with a formidable smile while patting the Great Dane on the head. “Lady Olivia, I had heard you were sick and wanted to be left alone. I see you are feeling better now, especially with this cutie here. No name yet?”

Cheric could only nod. “No name yet, still debating on what it should be.” It was true the first couple of days she had been feeling nauseous, but when everything settled down, she felt she had become one with the stone. It was a peculiar feeling, but that didn’t change the fact that it felt like there was another human soul inside her. That feeling still gave her goose bumps as she reached over to take the clipboard from Belle’s hands.

“Also, I’m doing well, better than before that is for sure. It looks like you still need to prepare a schematic search for the Phoenix.”

Belle nodded before pointing at the clipboard. At the top was a handwritten letter from her brother’s estate. What could he want with her? “I am glad to hear it all the same. I was delivering this to you.”

Olivia thanked Belle before taking the letter, “Thanks. I’ll be in my office if you need anything.” She turned on her heel before heading back to where she had been holed up. Normally, she wouldn’t have cared about opening the letter in front of Belle, but her intuition urged her to do it privately.

She ripped the side of the envelope off so she could slide out the small parchment into her hand. It was a short letter and definitely not in the writing of her brother’s hand. It was a familiar thing, having seen the scrawling letters in beautiful cursive. The way the i’s and e’s had continued to the next letter as if it were nothing but water.

“Son of a bitch,” she murmured before storming out of her room. She was heading to her old warehouse where her discarded inventions were at. She sharply turned a corner down a hallway, completely ignoring the stares of those around her as she stomped down the hall. Normally, she didn’t stomp, so it did lead to some mystified and alarmed individuals.

Olivia arrived at the door where a key code popped out from the wall. She put in the secret code and retinal scans that it asked for before the door opened with a click. As she passed the threshold, she found dust covering everything on the floor, drapery, and sheets that covered old machines. Olivia had to cover her nose to prevent the dust particles from entering to her nostrils. The feeling of empty, cold musky air surrounded her when she crossed the threshold.

She pressed forward to the back of the room where she passed a couple of cobwebs and broken toolboxes from years past until she was face-to-face with a very old display case. It had been years since she created this thing; even finishing it was a chore in itself. Removing a handkerchief from her lab coat, she wiped down the glass to reveal the face of a fourteen-year-old Charlotte Rothschild sleeping peacefully.

“Charie, I need a favor,” she replied while opening the locked case for it. The girl was unresponsive as Olivia plugged in certain extensions and finally flipped a switch. The hazel eyes that she grew accustomed to in the past opened before her, and while the smile still plastered upon her innocent face, it was still a robot. It could never be the real thing.

“Master Olivia, how may I assist you today,” she replied while crushing the forgotten letter in her hand. The protocol from years back still was installed. “Shall I play with Master Skylar while Master Charlotte is in class?”

Olivia shook her head before turning around. “Follow me.” She pulled off her lab coat to cover the robot and instructed it to move. “We have some individuals we need to greet.”

The robot smiled before doing as told. “As you say, Master Olivia.”

Olivia walked over to the estate’s intercom before calling out the Division’s select crew members to the cafeteria. “Xavier and Damien Drummond, Aden Summerfeld, and Tyler Marklin, you all have twenty minutes to meet me in the cafeteria.”

 

۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞

 

Twenty minutes later, the four people had gathered at the designated place. Xavier was bored, drumming his fingers against the table he sat at while Damien rested in the wheelchair. He was all the way on the other side of the estate when Olivia called them, and he didn’t feel like hobbling down the hall with his crutches.

Aden was sitting in a wooden chair beside Damien with a deck of cards. He shuffled the cards with both his hands before he dealt himself his third hand in solitaire. Tyler Marklin intently watched the game, suggesting what Aden should do when the captain got stumped. The two managed to win the game twice in a row, which was surprising, seeing as Aden didn’t like to be told what to do.

“Well, if it isn’t Cheric,” Xavier replied with an aloof expression.

She pushed past the doors with energy and a bottle of root beer. The box she held in her other hand caused Damien to straighten in his seat. “What’s the box for? Giving us a reward for our hard work?” Xavier grinned while Olivia ignored him.

Walking over to the table Aden, Damien, and Tyler were at, she dropped the box in front of them. Xavier ambled over to peer over the others’ shoulders to the box before Olivia tapped on it. When she finally had their attention, she pointed to the door where a young girl was standing with a lab coat on. Her hair was pulled into two braids down the front, and an innocent smile was plastered on her face.

“Who is she?” she asked the men, waiting for the recognition to set in.

The inventor watched as all four changed their expression. Xavier immediately ran over to her. “Yo, Lottie! I thought you were taken in by Olivia’s older brother. Did you come to visit? Ah, who cares! Why didn’t you visit us sooner?”

Tyler ran after to give her a welcoming hug back, but he stopped short, noticing the slight difference everyone else was starting to see. Xavier had reached out to pat her head but also realized she was a couple of inches shorter than what he remembered. “You’re shorter than I remember.” She also wasn’t metallic the last they saw her.

“Lionsheart?” Damien finally replied before turning back to Olivia while Aden turned a deadly glare to the inventor.

“Is this some sick joke or something? Is this what you were doing the past couple of weeks, trying to see if we’d react to a knock-off version of some servant?” He got up from the table, forgetting the cards and box in front of them.

“Take another step out of here and you’ll lose your chance of getting the Relic stones.”

Everyone perked at this sudden revelation.

Damien was staring at the box before looking at Cheric. “You’re giving us those stones?”

Aden shot a confused look to his older brother before looking at the box.

She nodded before pulling out from her pants’ pocket the wrinkled parchment. “I should have realized it was her, but I didn’t think she’d use a pseudoname. I should have realized she would have used her middle name.” She turned back to where Xavier, Tyler, and Charie were standing. “Charie and I have prepared a duplicate set of these stones. Fakes with no power in them, just based upon looks alone. I want you to have the real ones. Use them as you see fit, but be wary. Once you use them, it will be a permanent fixture in your life.”

Aden sensed there was more to this than what was being said. “What is it that you’re trying to do, Cheric?”

And Olivia turned to him with a bright smile. “I want to ensure that my friend is safe and sound, and to do that, we need to get rid of some rats in the premises.”

Xavier and Tyler both quirked their heads.

“I’m confused as hell, but I’ll go with it for now. How are you going to do that?” Xavier pondered before looking at the girl behind them. She was holding a box that looked similar to the one on the table.

“Easy, we have Charie disguise herself as Charlotte Rothschild and reveal to the state that her uncle gave her the stones. When she does so, the rats will inform Zaine that Charlotte is alive and that she has the stones here at my estate. That is the moment we strike them.”

“That may lead more of those pirates to attack here, Lady Olivia,” Tyler replied, as he connected the dots his master finally laid out. He knew the girl from somewhere before, and now it made sense. “And with the Division’s crew still injured the way they are, we can’t support the attack. We’d be inviting a slaughter.”

Olivia shook her head. “I’m not suggesting we put the plan into action now. We do it once blondie is fully capable of walking without crutches. In the meantime, I will be working upon my other project that will aid us in the search for the Relic stones.”

Xavier scratched his temple before pointing at the box on the table. “Aren’t those the stones you mentioned though? How many more could there be?”

Damien shook his head before explaining what the stones were and how they were being created in large quantities. Tyler gapped at the end of the explanation while Aden sat down, feeling numb. He was staring at the box in silence, lost in his thoughts.

Xavier slammed down a fist into the wooden table, causing it to splinter. “Does the state know of this?”

“For all we know, the state could be the ones manufacturing the stones. We’re in a grave situation, and while we still do not have all the information, I will tell you this.” Olivia shoved the letter into her pants’ pocket. “I’m creating a device at this moment that will be able to detect these stones. All I’m asking you guys is to look out for Charie here.”

She pointed over her shoulder to the robot remaining stationary. She had tilted her head in confusion from the way her master was pointing at her.

“We’re supposed to be her bodyguards or something?” Xavier asked while Damien wheeled his chair uncomfortably around the table. He wanted to get a closer look at the girl before making a final decision.

“Yes. I want her to be with someone at all times. We will hide her face. I’ll also make the necessary changes to her appearance so she looks seventeen years old, not fourteen. It’s time we took matters into our own hands.”

Damien placed a hand on his chin. “That’s all good and all, but that Lionsheart look-alike isn’t Charlotte Rothschild. The admirals will know who she is just because she was the fleet admiral’s niece.”

Olivia merely stared at the gentleman in the wheelchair, but Aden, having snapped out of his reverie, caught the look and frowned. He knew that Charie-Lottie Lionsheart girl was lying through her teeth.

“Son of a bitch. I should have known.”

“My sentiments exactly, Summerfeld.”

The other three in the party connected two and two together just as Aden explained to his brothers. “Charlotte Lionsheart Rothschild. Put it together.”

Xavier slid down onto the seat in front of Aden, raking his beanie off his head. “Shit. She’s the fleet admiral’s niece? I made her swab the deck.”

Damien dropped his head into his hand. “That’s all you’re worried about? We knew she was high class, but not close to bloody royalty.” Being the Fleet Admiral’s family reaped high socialite factions. The Drummond clan was heavily invested in that society, but not that high class.

Tyler walked around the robot, admiring the detail that was put into before sighing. “What do we need to do?”

Olivia turned to her secretary before unlocking the box. She looked at the stones then back at the four of them.“There are three stones here. If you’re compatible with it, you can have it. Are you prepared for the long haul of trouble?”

Xavier grumbled into his hands. Tyler nodded, looking grim. Damien turned to Aden who stared irritably at the stones.

“What choice do we have, Cheric?” Xavier muttered before removing his hands. “I know I won’t be sitting back and watching while those pirates do as they please.”

 

۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞

 

The knock at the door stopped Charlotte in her task of studying. The previous day, she had been introduced to her instructor, Mr. Nielson, and while she had told herself that she wasn’t going to like him, she actually grew quite fond of him. He was funny, quirky, and reminded her of her father. He was doting on her just like her papa did, and he also had an unrequited love that she was dying to find out more of.

Mr. Nielson had known the girl as Lottie Lionsheart, but when they meet the first time, they had started to discuss her previous schooling and then continued on to what her father taught at the academy. When she had slipped and said that her father’s name was Bryan Rothschild, she suddenly realized that she had revealed herself as Charlotte Rothschild. It was there that Simone and Elliot, much to their distress and annoyance, explained to Nielson the whole situation about her concealing her identity.

“Charlotte! You have mail!” Mr. Nielson sung in his tenor voice, and the girl laughed. Placing the letter on her desk, he took a seat beside her, looking with interest at her letters. “What does Ms. Cheric say today?”

Charlotte smiled before ripping the top of the envelope with a letter opener. The envelope was heavy, carrying more than one letter, peaking Charlotte’s curiosity even more. “It seems like multiple letters,” she replied with surprise before pulling out the stack, and a pile of pencil shavings poured out from the letters.

She cringed away from the mess and shuddered at the sight. How she hated pencil shavings. It only reminded her of the countless scraping sounds of her wiping her papers whenever she needed to erase something, and then the shavings getting stuck to the bottom of her writing hand. It was her one main pet peeve after all.

Mr. Nielsen quirked an eyebrow at the mess before walking over to the entrance so he could bring over the trash can.

 

Ms. Lionsheart,

My name is Damien Drummond. I don’t know if you remember me, but we met briefly on the Division. I hope you are well even in these dark times. I’m sorry for everything that has happened, and please know that when we next meet, I will repay you for that one time. Until then, I hope we remain pen pals.

 

Damien Drummond

 

“What did it say, Charlotte?” Nielson asked politely while he was wiping the shavings into the trash. Charlotte placed the letter down and wiped the oak table to get rid of the shavings in front of her.

“He apologized for everything that happened and that he’d pay me back. Oh, he did say that he wants to remain pen pals until that time though.” She smiled before grabbing another letter from the folded stack and messy stack.

“Did you see this letter?” He peered down over her shoulder to the neatly written letter and immediately recognized the writing. Charlotte didn’t see her teacher’s recognition appear across his face because she was already onto her next thought.

“He was one of the gentlemen that helped me on the Division. If I remember correctly, he was quiet but sweet.”

 

Bestie!

Long time no see, squirt! If I had known that a sixty-five-foot wave was coming sooner, I would have strapped you to my back. We both could have come unscathed from it. Most of the crew got injured, but we somehow made it on the same shoreline. Where’d you wind up? I owe you a piping hot meal from Anna still, so I hope you don’t mind waiting! We’ll find you, I guarantee it! Until then, keep us posted on your health and stuff. We like to know how our crew is doing, even the ones we picked up. Hope all is well.

 

Xavier Drummond

 

PS: I hope you aren’t mad about me telling you to swab the deck. We cool, right?

 

Mr. Nielson grabbed another off the stack before glimpsing the name at the bottom of it. Surprised, he looked up at Charlotte, still reading her letter from Damien. “Charlotte, you know Aden Summerfeld?”

The mention of his name made Charlotte shoot her head up. “Did you say Aden Summerfeld?” She dropped Xavier’s letter on the table before grabbing the one in Mr. Nielson’s hand. He gave her another bemused look.

“He used to be one of my students in the academy. I believe he arrived when he was fifteen and somehow met his half brothers without realizing it. It was quite a shock to find out those three were related despite Aden’s mysterious past. They were a lively group, now that I think about it. Xavier had already graduated but still managed to cause a ruckus. Hmm.”

 

Charie-Lottie,

Lies get people nowhere. I hope you know that while I know your circumstance, that does not change the fact that you still belong to me until you’ve paid me back. Expect an interest on that because of the time lapse and how many times I’ve had to save you. When we somehow do meet, try not to be the damsel in distress again.

 

Aden Summerfeld

 

Charlotte scowled at the letter before tossing it away. “He’s an unbelievable jerk. I am never imagining him saving me again. In fact, I’m going to assume it was Xavier and Damien.”

Mr. Nielson laughed before pulling a particular letter out. “I think you’re looking for this one, right, Charlotte?” She took the letter from his hands before instantly recognizing the handwriting.

“Olivia!”

 

Ms. Innocent,

How much longer are you going to make me worried? It took you five months after your disappearance to actually contact me? This is about seven months after your last letter, so I am glad you kept track of that for me. Not only that, but you’ve also caused me a great deal of hassle. I hope you’re prepared for the consequences. You’ll be expected to buy me a month’s worth of root beer when we do meet again. You’re tenacious enough to survive the ocean twice and brave (though I would not necessarily consider you as such since your actions were rather foolish) for fending off Claire and Zaine by yourself.

I’m sure my brother and his companion are treating you well. Just be sure to not create too much destruction or they may bill me extra for it. At which point, I will come after you with all my gadgets and beat you. The shelving units you knocked over previously were added to one of my bills, at which point I burned the envoy. I hope you don’t mind the repercussions that come with that, Charle. Also, whoever decided to use Lottie as an alias is completely ridiculous.

Your studies are important, so do not overlook them. In fact, I’ve provided all the essentials from when you were attending the satellite campus of the academy in Chiariotti. I intend in this coming year to have you at least on par with the average human being.

Charie is functioning the same as it had years prior. I’ve had to update the model to fit your current image, but after some tweaking, I realized it was missing something. I added a money system in it for those who want to vent their anger on it. I wasn’t expecting much money to be made because it looks like you, but you’d be surprised how many times Summerfeld comes to beat it. Many thanks for your relationship with him, I’m making quite a fortune.

 

Livvy

 

“She’s using Charie for what?” Charlotte cried before crushing her letter. Only Nielson pointed to the back of the parchment.

“I think she wrote you a postscript, Charlotte.”

Blinking, the girl with auburn hair took the crinkled paper and flattered it out. Turning it, she read the postscript Mr. Nielson had noticed.

 

PS (means postscript!) :D

For your future instructor, Charlotte is clumsy, naïve, but also very intelligent. I have provided a bulk of data and progress reports of her successes (with some awesome stories of her epic failures) through the years. I hope they will adequately provide you with a means of dealing with her. May you have some patience with her blond moments and comical outbursts.

As for my friend, after you’ve crinkled my letter in your comical and definitely foreseen tyrannical rage I see you doing, the paper will then self-destruct into bits of pencil shavings from all those years we haven’t seen each other. Along with everyone else’s. Think of it as a safety precaution and belated birthday present. Happy seventeenth birthday, love, and I will see you later. :D

 

Before Charlotte could react to it, all the letters she had read blown up on the desk into a cloud of pencil shavings, and burnt bits flew all over Charlotte. Mr. Nielson, who had been holding the bulk of Charlotte’s progress reports, remained unscathed as those had yet to explode. He extended them away, waiting for the inevitable, but nothing happened.

“She’s the enigmatic one, isn’t she?” Mr. Nielson chuckled nervously while Charlotte, who had burnt paper soot and pencil shavings all over her attire and hair, was fuming in her seat.

“Livvy, I hate you so much right now!”