"It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it."
- Warren Buffet

✧

It was a day of festivities. Celebration. The Escadan Empire was in a jolly mood as commoners and nobles alike held parties to herald the Emperor's 53rd anniversary on the throne, which coincided with his birthday. Unlike the former, the latter were all congregated in Great Hall of the Imperial Palace, aptly named 'Everlasting Salvation'.

Grandiose crystal chandeliers illuminated the room, so uselessly spacious that it could even welcome guests from Jötunheimr, the great Giants. They hung limpidly, mostly ignored by the sparse crowds of nobles who were already used to the sights. A few 'countryfolk', namely nobles who were stationed near the borders of the Empire and therefore had little interaction with the Imperial Capital, could be seen ogling at every inch of the hall.

They couldn't be blamed for their shock; every inch of every corner of every crevice screamed wealth as it was specially cleaned and dressed in ornaments for this day. Countless tables layered with pristine white silk were filled to the brim with scrumptious meals, dishes and snacks. Out of courtesy and basic manners, they remained untouched until the Emperor and Empress arrived, which could be said to be counterintuitive since they always came last. However, nobody complained.

The amalgamation of noble society was collected here.

One particular social circle was gathered near the centre, their group being striking even amongst the colourful palate of gowns, dresses and robes that other nobles had dressed themselves up in. It was for the sole reason that most of them wore black military uniforms, clashing greatly with their golden ornaments. Each man and woman was stern, unforgiving and often cold, with not much conversation going on. This was the Militant Faction, a party of the highest-ranking individuals within the Escadan Empire's military, additionally backed by the upper-echelons of noble society like Duke Walford, Marquis Jacques and a few more.

It was currently the political faction in power, headed by none other than the Crown Prince. They dominated the social battleground with no other faction even coming close; their direct competitor, the Second Prince's Faction, was in shambles as their leader was rarely even seen or heard of in the past few years. Despite that, a few members remained staunchly loyal to him, something that others couldn't figure out. Consisting of the Emperor's ministers and even some of his High Council, as well as a large majority of titled commoners and scholars, the Second Prince's Faction should be a solid opponent on paper. It was a shame that circumstances prevented that.

As a result, they have been swept away over the years and the Neutral Faction swelled in numbers, their members losing faith in the Second Prince's Faction but vehemently opposing the Militant Faction's forceful and empirical desire to expand their borders at the same time. This was only because currently, the Escadan Empire was too weak to take on the southeastern nations of the continent. They were all cautious of the Empire's strength which was rocketing upwards like a shooting star and as soon as an opportunity presented itself, they would all pounce on it like a pack of ravenous wolves.

The national military acted as a deterrent to that. If it was to leave on the pretext of an invasion, the Escadan Empire would be finished. And the only other safety harness that they possessed was... the Auster Household. Some believed that their private army was stronger than the Imperial Family's, though they didn't say it out loud. Without this sentinel of the north, the nation would have been up in flames a long time ago.

Aware of this, the Militant Faction had made many notable offers and moves over the years to entice the Auster Household into their group but to no avail. The only answer that Walker had given them was 'sorry, I need to ask my sister first,' infuriating them to no end. It was evident that he hadn't asked Cordelia even once over the years, as if he was mocking them.

"Your Highness, are you really going to kiss up to that bratty upstart? There is no need for you to lower yourself to that extent."

A noble of the Earl rank, who had been newly instated as a member, snobbishly complained. Many nobles had attempted to enter the Crown Prince's entourage but it was a fruitless endeavour; the only reason why this Earl was accepted was because of his noticeable quantity of ore mines which could be used as raw materials for the Empire's war machine. The saying 'more is better' can be applied to anything, after all.

The Crown Prince, Kaine Escadar, glanced imperceptibly at the rather fat Earl, before murmuring softly.

"Are you questioning my decision?"

The Earl froze, cold sweat drenching his back instantly. The pressure emitted from Kaine was immense, especially towards an untalented, untrained man like him who had never fought in his life. Kaine entered the Praestantia Academy as soon as he was eligible at the age of 10 and left 3 years later, skipping the normal 6 year period of education there due to his incredible aptitude and learning ability. Now 16, he had spent another 3 years consolidating and bolstering his political power in the Empire, getting to where he was today. It was a superhuman feat.

"N-no, of course not. Your Highness' vision is unmatched by anybody else. I'm just afraid that I don't comprehend enough to see what Your Highness has in mind..."

The last sentence unintentionally slipped out of the Earl's mouth, perhaps out of sheer frustration and jealousy towards this ducal house that everybody seemed to value so much! He didn't understand. Paling to a sickly white, the Earl covered his mouth with his flabby palm, shocked at what he just said; his words were indirectly calling Kaine's actions as mindless and idiotic.

Fortunately, the Crown Prince seemed slightly dazed as he stared into empty space for a few moments, missing the Earl's presumptuous words near the end. 

'Auster... Cordelia Auster...'

Ever since he had caught a glimpse of that girl's figure on the battlefield, the image had never left his mind since. It had imprinted itself within the depths of his memories, unable to be wiped away nor hidden. After that, countless conversations of her exploits, accolades and merits were passed into his ears over just a 2 year period. 

It was known that he had a near-unhealthy addiction to recruiting talents who would serve him in the future. The person himself only described it as 'grasping the importance of competent subordinates' but when one saw his star-studded line of followers, they would say otherwise. Cordelia Auster was an example of just that. If all of his other personnel acquisitions made up the dough, filling and icing of the cake, she would be the cherry on top. 

Fending off armies of other nations years before one was of age was unprecedented, unheard of. Seeking to surround himself with talent and build up his hand of cards, Kaine wanted the girl has his fiancé. Marrying her would not only tie her future achievements to himself but also bring the Auster Household into his camp, an overlooked powerhouse which could be the wild card capable of breaking the ice in the political scene.

Yet, as time passed on, those thoughts gradually faded away, now only a fleeting sentiment in the back of his mind. 

'How could I chain down such a person?'

'She has such a bright future ahead of her; it would be in the Empire's best interests to keep her unfettered.'

Such thoughts kept his greediness from leaking out. His dreams of her brave yet frail back, carrying the weight of an entire army, made him realise the immorality of his scheming.

"Y-Your Highness?..."

'An annoying fly popped up again.'

Glaring at him, Kaine snorted quietly and turned to talk to his closest advisors. He had no idea that his fantasies would be reignited from a smouldering ember into a raging inferno.

"Duke Cordelia Auster and Duke Walker Auster have arrived!"

In an instant, a wave of silence fell over the ball participants. Two dukes? Doesn't that mean both siblings came this time? Walker Auster was already enough of a rare sight as he didn't care for small parties hosted by another noble household, not to mention his younger sister whose number of public appearances could be counted on one hand.

Before any discussion could be made, the gilded doors flew open, welcoming a light gust of air that fluttered dresses, ruffled collars and flitted through hair. As if for dramatic effect, the hallway was so dark that you couldn't see through it, meaning that only the crisp and clean sounds of shoes rattling on the marble floor could be used as a sign of their presence. Normally, the chatter would drown this out but it was so deafeningly silent that every step sounded like the simultaneous firing of cannons right in your ear.

Slowly, two distinct figures emerged from the darkness. Wearing the same shade of jet black and highlights of gold, only their style of clothing and gender could be told apart. Walker wore a buttoned-up, trenchcoat-esque robe made out of leather, golden buttons and ornaments standing out against the deep tone of stygian. Finished off with a simple pair of black trousers and gloves, only his refined facial features and dignified demeanour outed his status as a noble.

On the other hand, Cordelia donned a comparatively scanty dress: sleeveless, high skirt and thin material. While it might've seemed scandalous on others, she had no real 'assets' to speak of so there was instead a feeling of vibrancy and uniqueness. Her dress was also modified, fully sewed with an outer layer that was a cross between a large cardigan and winter coat that covered up much of her upper body. What attracted the most attention was the sheathed sword attached to her waist, held in place by a hook on her dress.

She could carry a weapon on her person at all times, which was a secondary privilege to her title of 'Great Protector', allowing her to 'kill first and explain later', essentially meaning that the girl could strike down noble households without justification. Not once had she exercised this right since she never had any situations pop up which called for it. It was just another reason in the long list of why her household received the disdain that it did without any regard towards the illustrious status it truly held.

Like the parting of the red sea, nobles gave way to the pair as they nonchalantly walked straight through the middle and towards the throne where the upper-echelons of noble society had congregated. There was an invisible barrier which separated the powerful from the weak; Cordelia and Walker crossed it easily with no qualms. Even if some disagreed in their hearts, the words were stuck in their throat. It was impossible to speak under the pressure that the siblings emanated.

In tactic understanding, neither of the two branched out to other nobles and stayed within their own little circle, speaking to each other quietly. 

"I haven't seen you in so long, Cordelia... Do you remember me?"

Pausing at the voice behind her, Cordelia slowly turned around to face the newcomer. There stood a young noble girl, about her own age, wearing a cute, puffy green dress with frills and embroidery. Silky golden locks hung from her face, styled in beautiful braids which complemented her innocent, dumpling cheeks. She was, by definition, a cute loli. Cordelia felt like averting her gaze from the girl after seeing her sapphire eyes sparkle with unseen tears. She did in fact recognise her. It was just that...

'...she is from a time that has long passed.'

Sprouts of guilt bloomed within her as she witnessed the gradual shadow of despair encroach over Eloise's countenance, causing Cordelia to nod unconsciously. Like the sun had just risen, all darkness vanished and only rays of blinding light could be seen shooting out from the blonde girl's profile.

"Ever since that happened, you never sent me any more letters..."

They had been childhood friends. Eloise Newhtam, the sole child of the Newhtam Household, was based in the south, the furthest it could be from Auster lands. It was fortunate that their households were in a good relationship in both a business and personal sense. The Newhtam Household thrived off the blessings of the sea but after the Demon War, Magical Beast activity in the oceans dramatically increased. In order to combat Tier 9 Magical Beasts like the Kraken, they sought aid from the Auster Household who provided weapons such as ballistae, giant harpoons and sent detachments of soldiers to cull the Magical Beast population. 

In return, discounts and benefits were given to the Austers when trading with the Newhtams; products such as fish and other seafood even became a culinary revolution in Auster cities where it was a protein-rich, easily accessible and tasty food. It was inevitable that the children of both households would be introduced to each other as playmates. 

A haze settled over Cordelia's orbs as images flashed repeatedly. 

'I can't drag Eloise into my revenge. It was foolish of me to reply to her like that.'

2232 words
Written 27/10/20 (DD/MM/YY)

vaexis

This chapter was a bit rushed; the concept for it came out of nowhere so apologies if you felt like it blindsided you. I also went on a tirade about Cordelia's and Walker's outfits despite me having no aptitude for fashion whatsoever. Please forgive me incompetence, haha.

Anyways, thank you for reading and have a nice day.