The next to leave was Marcus, the butler. Viscount Desrosiers had cried and pleaded, but Father found fault in Marcus' selection of wine. I had thought it to be one of the sweetest things I had tasted in a long while, but as it turned out, all of the wines in the household had been watered down.

  Given the state of the Viscount's finances, it was obvious to all who had given that order.

  After that, the head maid was dismissed, as the family's sheets were not cleaned and pressed on time for that evening. It did not matter to Father that the head maid was also the only maid, and that she was drastically overworked managing so many unexpected guests. The only thing that mattered to him was that she had failed her duty of hospitality.

  Soon, Viscount Desrosiers was alone. His wife, who had supposedly gone to the docks the day we arrived, did not return. The Viscount continued to make excuses on her behalf, but it became clear that there was only one way this was going to end for him.

  ---

  I sat down to eat dinner, but there was nothing prepared.

  Father was at the head of the table, where the Viscount ought to sit, and William was sitting in the seat of honor. Agnes and Hugo sat close to Father, and I had been given the least seat, of course.

  The tension in the room was palpable, and my hunger slowly faded into fear; Father was prepared to make his judgment.

  But instead of speaking, Father simply continued to sit there, sipping wine and staring across the table at the Viscountess' empty chair.

  "Paul," he began, causing Viscount Desrosiers to jump in his seat, "Where is your wife, today?"

  "She was, unfortunately, once again forced to stay near the docks, as our ship has been delayed and we do not know when it will arrive."

  "Paul, I will ask you again. Where is your wife?"

  A sharp, stabbing feeling pierced my heart as I felt my Father begin refining magic from the air. He kept it in, ready to manifest, but carefully withheld in his body, and so nobody else noticed the external signs that often accompanied the use of magic.

  But I knew. My body instinctively felt the draw of magic out of the air. It was subtle. Far more subtle than the feeling of breathing in refined magic from someone else's exhalation. But it was a feeling that I had felt hundreds of times before.

  The Viscount was not escaping this table unscathed. He had no pieces left on the board to sacrifice, other than his wife.

  Viscount Paul shuddered, weighing his options carefully. After a long moment, he gathered his resolve and lifted his face to look directly at Father in resignation.

  "I sent her away three days ago, when I heard you were coming. She will not be returning."

  Father's hand raised, causing the Viscount and I to flinch, but he merely lifted his glass to take a long, slow sip. Hugo looked on in excitement, while Agnes seemed unaware of what was about to happen.

  But I was aware, and rapidly felt myself pushing back, further and further, into my mind. Past the edge, into that all too familiar corner.

  Not the void, but the place where the girl could look on without fear. William had noticed something off, and was staring at the girl with an evaluating sweep of the eyes.

  Finally, Father set his wine down in front of him. He raised his hand again, turning to Erika, who was now the only member of staff in the home. "Pour Paul some wine."

  Erika stepped forward to pour the wine for Viscount Desrosiers. While she did, Father continued.

  "It was a commendable effort, Paul. You made good use of the time that my youngest accidentally provided you, and the edits to your ledger were quite skillful."

  Viscount Desrosiers warmed the wine with the palm of his hand, savoring the smell. It was something from Father's personal collection that he had brought in his carriage.

  "Not skillful enough, I'm afraid. It was good practice for William, though, and I do want to congratulate you for achieving that much."

  The Viscount slowly sipped the glass, taking an agonizingly long time.

  "I take it your ship did not hold the riches you hoped? This I already knew; your investments in the south were foolish from the start."

  Father wet his mouth with another sip of his own, holding the glass up to inspect the color in the light.

  "It's something of an interest of mine, actually. The southfolk colonies need much, and there are good opportunities to invest in their growth."

  Viscount Desrosiers finally finished his glass and slowly set it down, closing his eyes to listen.

  "But you made a crucial mistake, Paul. You invested in their military. This, I cannot abide."

  The Viscount took in a long, slow breath.

  "I hereby strip you of your title and all that I have granted you. All of your assets will be seized to pay the bulk of your debts. The rest, you may pay with your life."

  Lord Paul did not get another breath, as a snap of Father's hand directed the creeping vines beneath the table to lash upwards. They clasped around Lord Paul's neck in a practiced sweep, and then snapped his neck with hardly a sound. Hugo withheld a cheer, while Agnes gasped in shock and fear. The dull thump of the body hitting the floor left all in silence.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Meanwhile, the girl simply stared straight ahead, while William inspected her reaction.

  After a long moment, Father stood up from the table and reached out his hands to Erika, whereupon she placed a ceremonial sword in them.

  "It seems that Erika was aware of the itinerary..." thought the girl.

  William stood up as well, and kneeled in front of Father, who placed the blade upon his shoulders.

  "Lord William, I bequeath unto thee the title of Viscount. You are henceforth Viscount William Printemps. This estate, I also grant to you."

  He leaned the blade onto his shoulder and finished his glass with a flourish. "William, ensure that Sophia has a successful debut: her value depends on it. Hugo, Agnes, we are leaving. Prepare your things to go."

  And with that said, Viscount William, Erika and the girl were left alone with Paul's corpse.

  ---

  There was a ringing in my ears, and Erika was holding my hair as I vomited into the latrine between deep, gasping sobs.

  "Erika, he..."

  "Shh... let it out, then speak."

  "Right at the table..."

  "I know, Sophie. I know."

  ---

  I was in my nightgown, curled up on my bed while Erika brushed my hair.

  "Why did Viscount Paul have to die?"

  "Lord Paul."

  I gave Erika a look of indignation, but she kept her eyes on my hair and pretended not to notice.

  "Why did Lord Paul have to die?"

  "He committed treason, after a fashion. Enough for your father to justify it to the court, and that's all he needed once he decided he wanted to give Viscount William a title."

  "Treason?"

  "The southfolk are not of the kingdom, Sophia. Their colonies are tolerated so long as they trade with us, but their military is a threat to our border. Lord Paul was providing them with Lombardi-made arms."

  "And how do you know this?"

  But Erika would never answer that particular question.

  After a short moment, I huffed and rolled over to face her, sparking a cry of protest that was refreshingly familiar. I hugged her around the waist and buried my head into her uniform.

  "So what does it mean for us now that William owns this mansion?"

  "Well, hopefully, better food."

  "Erika!"

  She grinned playfully and pushed me back over so she could fix my hair.

  "That, I don't know. I can't know everything, Sophie."

  I sighed, breathing deeply and focusing on the feeling of the brush until I fell asleep.

  ---

  When I woke the next morning, the estate was abuzz with activity. Maids were outside my room, chattering in the hallway as they waited to enter. Erika was speaking to them through the door in hushed tones, but when I stirred she sighed and allowed them to enter.

  One of them, an older woman in a plain mauve dress rather than a uniform, curtsied. "Greetings, Lady Sophia. I am Baroness Verger. Viscount William has assigned me to be your lady in waiting, as well as the Head Maid pro tem of this estate."

  I looked to Erika, but she had faded into the sea of maids as she always had when we were back home, and did not acknowledge my meaningful glance in front of her new superior.

  Baroness Verger, however, noticed my gaze and let out a sigh. "Do not worry, Lady Sophia. I will not be taking your personal maid from you."

  She signalled for Erika to begin dressing me while she continued.

  "It is traditional for an older woman to assist you in your coming of age ceremony, and to represent you in situations where you cannot speak without the help of an adult. Viscount William has arranged for me to be that person for you. I hope that you will learn to trust me as an ally, and as someone who wants the best for the great house Printemps."

  She smiled at me, curtsying once again after I had been dressed.

  "Breakfast will be ready shortly. Viscount William asks that you join him."

  ---

  When I went down to eat breakfast, I noticed that my place had been set at the place of honor, and it was rather well appointed with fine breakfast fare: a delicious smelling pie and a glass of morning wine, along with bread and various sauces for it.

  William had waited for me before eating, which made me feel uncomfortable, but when I sat down to eat he simply began without saying anything.

  We ate our entire meal in silence.

  Afterwards, I waited for him to speak, to tell me what he wanted from me, but instead he simply motioned for the staff to clean the table and then left me alone so that he could continue his work.

  And I just sat there, stunned and confused, trying to figure out what he wanted me to do.

  "Oh. I get it. Nothing. He's showing me that he still expects nothing of me."

  ---

  When I arrived back at my room, both Erika and Baroness Verger were there, waiting for me.

  Erika was still playing her role as the silent personal maid, and so I turned to the Baroness.

  "Baroness Verger, how long until the ceremony, and what do I have to do to prepare?"

  "The ceremony is in three days. The night of the ceremony, you will attend the Queen's ball to make your debut."

  She smiled gently.

  "As for what you have to do, you and I will use our remaining time to study the steps and formalities of the ceremony so that you can perform your duty without fail. Viscount William has arranged for everything else already."

  I tilted my head slightly, glancing at Erika.

  "We won't be picking out a dress? Or choosing accessories?"

  "No. The Viscount has already called upon my expertise and we have made those selections for you."

  "Oh..." I said quietly. If Erika was disappointed that we wouldn't be able to shop together, she didn't show it on her face.

  "Now then, let us go to the library, where we can begin our lessons..."

  As I followed the Baroness out of the room, I turned back to look at Erika, but she simply closed her eyes and turned away.

  I felt a small twinge of fear. "How are you supposed to help me if you're in there?" I thought to myself as the door closed and we made our way to the library.