It had been ten long years since she had remembered the time people still saw her as Roberia.
Matalpalhallafaelladrapahamo Roberia was never her father's favorite. To be frank, she wasn't as well-received as her brother, Michael. Smart, strong, and wise, he had been the closest to the throne than anyone else at that time.
But, it all changed when Michael injured himself during a hunt. The elusive Scarletea Rhino, for its size, actually managed to outsmart him, and charged him down. Michael, caught in an uncomfortable position, could only sprawl himself over the ground, which the rhinoceros's hooves trampled upon his right calf, its weight and sheer strength tearing his tendons and crippling his right leg. Because Michael did not treat the injury in time, it had been far too late for any form of recovery to be effective.
That incident had the king and his ministers, her own father, to look to Roberia as a candidate for the crown.
Her more-lenient lifestyle then had a complete makeover.
She began training not as a simple warrior princess, but a warrior princess whom will become the heir to the throne and the next Empress of Rugnud.
For that reason, she was never viewed normally.
People greeted her as the Princess of Rugnud before, but as she became more and more eligible for her coming-of-age ceremony, they have begun calling her Empress Roberia directly.
And males of all ages began pursuing her.
It was sickening. Revolting. It would make a proud and noble Rugnud citizen hang their head in shame at the extent they would go to captivate her attention.
She grew tired of it.
She grew cold, and distant, even from the most friendly grocers and seamstresses whom she would walk past occasionally. Even from the people whom she used to be so chummy with.
... And...
To have her marry someone out of free will...
That was one of only things she could ever hope for.
*** ***
*Cozy's Notes : Sigh. I am not good at romance at all. Also part of why Herald will be the easiest to write, since the theme there is in my domain, and why Endus Reignum will be the toughest because it's a mixture of romance, horror, and a cross-over from Sentinel. By the way, I've made a song, an aria about Endus Reignum. I'll explain the lyrics and blah in another post.*
K : "I WHAT!?"
Ro : "Did you not hear that? Sorry, it must have been softer than I thought. I would like you to-"
K : "No, no! I mean, I definitely heard that, but... Marr... Marri... Marri..."
Katachi's expression was one of a wee smile, coupled with a face of shock. Essentially, he looked like someone who wasn't even sure to be surprised or shocked by the sudden outcome of events.
Ro : (His face is red...) "Marriage?"
K : (How could she manage to say that so calmly!?) "Marriage... I'm not even sure what to make of this..."
Roberia stood back a bit, and distanced herself to see Katachi's body language clearly.
Ro : "What's not to make of it? If we marry, we can be with each other permanently, which allows us to spar with each other everyday. In fact, if we marry, then it makes all the fights we've had thus far skirmishes. Is that not good?"
K : (! That would permanently remove the need to fight me...) "... But still, to take it as far as marriage..."
Ro : "Besides, life is short. Should we not make the best of our time, while we are in our youth? For all we know, our lives may end tomorrow, and we can't predict that."
K : "... Would... Would your family not rather you marry someone who has a better status, or something? I... I have nothing to offer... Nothing at all..."
Ro : (... That sentence is pricking me in more ways than one, somehow... Is it because of how similar it is to those pests back at Rugnud?) "..."
K : "... It would help your family's crisis more if you were to marry an aristocrat, would it not? I mean, with your beauty, you could be a potential candidate for Minister Lein's son, Martich, or something."
Ro : (... My... My beauty?... I am beautiful?)
Something in Roberia throbbed excitedly.
Ro : (So, the words of those from Rugnud were not of empty praise?... I am beautiful...)
Her smile slowly escaped her suppression, and formed on her face.
K : (She's smiling? Is it... Is it me being stupid again? Did I do something to embarrass myself in their culture?) "... Uhm... Did I say something I ought not to?"
Ro : "No. You did not. You simply enlightened me on something I had forgotten a long time ago."
K : (... Okay...? So... I'm not embarrassing myself then?) "... Ah. I see."
Ro : "In any case, my mind is set. I am going to marry you."
K : "Ahh... Ahh... But, I'm... I'm not even old enough to marry someone!"
Ro : "What? You're not 13?"
An awkward silence.
The two gawked at each other under the cloudy sky.
Ro : "... Seriously?! You're not old enough to marry!?" (I thought he was at least 13 years old! He looks like he's 13 years old! Is he serious!?)
K : "Of course I'm not! I'm... I..."
Ro : "... You what?"
K : "... I... I'm not even sure whether I'm 10 or 11 years old!"
Ro : "How could you not know your own age!?"
K : "I just... I just don't!"
Ro : "... Sigh..."
Roberia closed her eyes to think about the details once again.
Ro : (... This not-yet-13 boy managed to defeat me, and I actually thought of marrying him... That's illegal in Findel, isn't it? I know that you have to be 16 to marry in Rugnud, unless it's an arranged marriage, in which case, children as young as 3 years old can marry each other... But Findeli law strictly adheres to marriage for 13 and up only.)
K : (She seems really desperate to marry me... Her honor must be something she dearly protects. I think I've read of it somewhere in the books that Ilpoh followers stick to the code of conduct strictly. She mentioned something about strength, so she really needs to become strong, doesn't she? That's why she's so desperate to stick to me, even going as far as trying to marry me... But is it healthy for her? ) "..."
Ro : (So, I can't marry him in Rugnud, because we're strangers, and I have to wait a couple of years here... I just want to marry someone that I chose for myself! And the one time an opportunity like this presents itself, everything jams us from being together! Is that too much to ask?... Is this a trial of Dardicel?) "... Geez, why does it have to be such a big fuss?"
K : (... She looks really troubled by it. I... I don't know. Someone like her as my consort? As my... As my wife... But, I don't even know her name...) "..." *sigh*
Katachi signaled her to follow him.
K : "... If you can afford to travel with me and wait a few years, then, I guess... I guess we could marry, if you're so insistent about it."
Roberia's face lit up, and she rushed at Katachi, burying him in her arms this time.
Ro : "Okay!"
K : "!! Please don't cling so close to me! This is really embarrassing! We're not related or anything! I don't even know your name!!"
Ro : "Roberia."
K : "!?" (... Roberia?...)
Ro : "Remember that name. It's my name. Roberia."
K : (Roberia? There's a nice ring to it... What's her surname, though? If I can, I'd like to meet her family members. Or, if they hate me for being poor, avoid them, at least.) "... Okay... Roberia, what's your surname, by the way?"
Ro : "Guh!-..." (... Tacky question... I'd get busted the moment I say it, won't I?...) "... It doesn't matter, see. Since, well, you see, we're going to marry, and, well, I'm going to be Kotsuba Roberia soon anyway, you see."
*Cozy's Notes : You may have noticed by now. When Katachi is nervous, which he usually is when he talks to people without hurting them, he stutters a lot. When Roberia is nervous, and tries to explain herself, she uses a lot of 'see' and 'you see' between her sentences.*
K : (... Kotsuba Roberia?... Somehow, that sounds weird. It makes me feel weird inside... Like, I want it, but I don't want it at the same time...) "... Okay then... I'm just going to, uhm, go home. Are you... Are you... Coming along?"
Ro : "Let's go, then!"
And so, the lonely boy obtains a companion.
*** ***
The two stood before the huge, wooden door.
Katachi pushed it open slowly, and revealed the sight within.
The church hall had tiny, green crystals dangling from the ceiling. A skylight filters the light passing through the top, and the tiny crystals refract the light, bathing the interior with an unearthly-like glow. A huge portrait of Segus, made from stained glass, hang on the very back. Sconces hang from the walls, which light the church by night. There are 12 wooden church benches, and four doorways - The one to their immediate left for the living quarters such as toiletries and the kitchen, the far left for the sleeping quarters, the far right for a small closet to contain many tools such as shovels, shears, replacement parts, flower pots, addresses for the collectors and the like, and to their immediate right is a special room catered to the visitors - It has a couple of shelves filled with dried herbs and medicine, a small garden, a confession seat and a few magical objects and artifacts.
Seeing the church's unchanged interior made Katachi feel warm and homely, while Roberia, upon her first encounter, just admired in awe.
Ro : (Whoa... Ilpoh churches aren't this well-endowed. At least, I don't recall an Ilpoh altar to be this... Calming. Big, maybe, but not this. This place feels so... Soothing...)
The crystals atop actually have a special effect - The light they filter creates a calming sensation, by using viridian, a friendly color, to soothe a person's nerves via synesthesia. Katachi, however, had been oblivious to this effect - Something which has helped him calm down countless times whenever he's simply resting atop the benches, looking at Mother Rin listening to the ever-coming woes and helping other people regardless.
K : (? Where's Mother Rin? It's already past noon, but Mother Rin has a bad habit of delaying her lunch. Is she at the back, cooking?)
Katachi turned his head to face his left, and walked onwards into the living quarters.
Ro : (Wow... This place looks so... Grandeur...)
Ri : "Yes. You may come to pick it up anytime."
Ro : (? There's someone to my right?)
"Thank you, as always, Mother Rinnesfeld."
The two exit from the room to her right.
Ri : "Segus bless- Oh my!"
Upon laying eyes on the princess, Mother Rinnesfeld expressed her surprise.
Ro : (... This woman... Recognizes me... I've seen her before! She's the lady with the bag of bread, and she ate the bread dirtied on the road!) "... Uh... Hello."
"I'll be off now. I need to pick up my girls."
Ri : "Oh, yes, do take care. Segus bless you."
When the man left, Mother Rinnesfeld closed the door behind him, and turned around-
Ri : (-!!)
-to have her mouth covered by Roberia, with a fierce expression.
Ro : "... Listen very closely. That boy, Kotsuba Katachi, doesn't know who I am. And, I would, for personal reasons, like to keep it that way. Please, I beg of you, please pretend that you don't know who I am."
Mother Rinnesfeld's eyelids fell a bit, and she nodded her head slightly.
Roberia retracted her hand, and heaved a sigh.
Ro : "Katachi! Are you looking for this nun?"
A few moments later, rapid, uneasy footsteps were heard, and Katachi entered the hall.
K : "... ! Mother Rin!"
Ri : "Katachi!"
Katachi ran forward, and hugged the woman whom had been substituting his biological mother.
Ri : "Oh my! You've grown a bit, haven't you? Your height has finally reached my collarbone."
K : "I did?"
Ri : "You did! You weren't this tall before you went to the Magus Academy."
Katachi pulled himself back, and sat on a bench armrest.
K : "I guess I did."
Mother Rinnesfeld then peered over at the red-haired girl.
Ri : "And I see you got yourself a lovely partner! Who's the pretty young lady?"
Ro : (... She didn't expose me... What a relief...)
K : "Huh? Oh, her? She... She's Roberia, and... Well..."
Ri : "?"
K : "... A few... Things, happened along the way, and..."
Ri : "... ! Katachi! You didn't-..."
Mother Rinnesfeld walked towards Katachi, and whispered in his ear.
Ri : "You didn't happen to impregnate her or something, did you?"
K : "!!! MO- MOTHER!! I- I DID NO SUCH THING!!"
Ri : "... That's a relief, and a pity at the same time. So, why is she here?"
Ro : "Uhm..."
The two looked over at Roberia.
Ro : "... See, the thing is... We're getting married."
... Silence.
A merry bird chirps outside the church, and contributes to the void of sound within the church.
Ri : "... I'm guessing you two would like to tie the knot, under the oath of Segus?"
Ro : "What?! No!"
K : "Mother Rin!"
Ri : "But, why not? It's not like it's illegal or something."
And once again, the crickets outside too add to the ambience and emphasis of the silence.
Ro : "It's not illegal?"
K : "What do you mean, it's not illegal?! I'm not 13 yet!"
Ri : "What are you talking about, Katachi? You turned 13 last month. I just didn't get to celebrate it with you because you were away."
Their eyes were so wide, it almost popped out of their heads.
That incident had the king and his ministers, her own father, to look to Roberia as a candidate for the crown.
Her more-lenient lifestyle then had a complete makeover.
She began training not as a simple warrior princess, but a warrior princess whom will become the heir to the throne and the next Empress of Rugnud.
For that reason, she was never viewed normally.
People greeted her as the Princess of Rugnud before, but as she became more and more eligible for her coming-of-age ceremony, they have begun calling her Empress Roberia directly.
And males of all ages began pursuing her.
It was sickening. Revolting. It would make a proud and noble Rugnud citizen hang their head in shame at the extent they would go to captivate her attention.
She grew tired of it.
She grew cold, and distant, even from the most friendly grocers and seamstresses whom she would walk past occasionally. Even from the people whom she used to be so chummy with.
... And...
To have her marry someone out of free will...
That was one of only things she could ever hope for.
*** ***
*Cozy's Notes : Sigh. I am not good at romance at all. Also part of why Herald will be the easiest to write, since the theme there is in my domain, and why Endus Reignum will be the toughest because it's a mixture of romance, horror, and a cross-over from Sentinel. By the way, I've made a song, an aria about Endus Reignum. I'll explain the lyrics and blah in another post.*
K : "I WHAT!?"
Ro : "Did you not hear that? Sorry, it must have been softer than I thought. I would like you to-"
K : "No, no! I mean, I definitely heard that, but... Marr... Marri... Marri..."
Katachi's expression was one of a wee smile, coupled with a face of shock. Essentially, he looked like someone who wasn't even sure to be surprised or shocked by the sudden outcome of events.
Ro : (His face is red...) "Marriage?"
K : (How could she manage to say that so calmly!?) "Marriage... I'm not even sure what to make of this..."
Roberia stood back a bit, and distanced herself to see Katachi's body language clearly.
Ro : "What's not to make of it? If we marry, we can be with each other permanently, which allows us to spar with each other everyday. In fact, if we marry, then it makes all the fights we've had thus far skirmishes. Is that not good?"
K : (! That would permanently remove the need to fight me...) "... But still, to take it as far as marriage..."
Ro : "Besides, life is short. Should we not make the best of our time, while we are in our youth? For all we know, our lives may end tomorrow, and we can't predict that."
K : "... Would... Would your family not rather you marry someone who has a better status, or something? I... I have nothing to offer... Nothing at all..."
Ro : (... That sentence is pricking me in more ways than one, somehow... Is it because of how similar it is to those pests back at Rugnud?) "..."
K : "... It would help your family's crisis more if you were to marry an aristocrat, would it not? I mean, with your beauty, you could be a potential candidate for Minister Lein's son, Martich, or something."
Ro : (... My... My beauty?... I am beautiful?)
Something in Roberia throbbed excitedly.
Ro : (So, the words of those from Rugnud were not of empty praise?... I am beautiful...)
Her smile slowly escaped her suppression, and formed on her face.
K : (She's smiling? Is it... Is it me being stupid again? Did I do something to embarrass myself in their culture?) "... Uhm... Did I say something I ought not to?"
Ro : "No. You did not. You simply enlightened me on something I had forgotten a long time ago."
K : (... Okay...? So... I'm not embarrassing myself then?) "... Ah. I see."
Ro : "In any case, my mind is set. I am going to marry you."
K : "Ahh... Ahh... But, I'm... I'm not even old enough to marry someone!"
Ro : "What? You're not 13?"
An awkward silence.
The two gawked at each other under the cloudy sky.
Ro : "... Seriously?! You're not old enough to marry!?" (I thought he was at least 13 years old! He looks like he's 13 years old! Is he serious!?)
K : "Of course I'm not! I'm... I..."
Ro : "... You what?"
K : "... I... I'm not even sure whether I'm 10 or 11 years old!"
Ro : "How could you not know your own age!?"
K : "I just... I just don't!"
Ro : "... Sigh..."
Roberia closed her eyes to think about the details once again.
Ro : (... This not-yet-13 boy managed to defeat me, and I actually thought of marrying him... That's illegal in Findel, isn't it? I know that you have to be 16 to marry in Rugnud, unless it's an arranged marriage, in which case, children as young as 3 years old can marry each other... But Findeli law strictly adheres to marriage for 13 and up only.)
K : (She seems really desperate to marry me... Her honor must be something she dearly protects. I think I've read of it somewhere in the books that Ilpoh followers stick to the code of conduct strictly. She mentioned something about strength, so she really needs to become strong, doesn't she? That's why she's so desperate to stick to me, even going as far as trying to marry me... But is it healthy for her? ) "..."
Ro : (So, I can't marry him in Rugnud, because we're strangers, and I have to wait a couple of years here... I just want to marry someone that I chose for myself! And the one time an opportunity like this presents itself, everything jams us from being together! Is that too much to ask?... Is this a trial of Dardicel?) "... Geez, why does it have to be such a big fuss?"
K : (... She looks really troubled by it. I... I don't know. Someone like her as my consort? As my... As my wife... But, I don't even know her name...) "..." *sigh*
Katachi signaled her to follow him.
K : "... If you can afford to travel with me and wait a few years, then, I guess... I guess we could marry, if you're so insistent about it."
Roberia's face lit up, and she rushed at Katachi, burying him in her arms this time.
Ro : "Okay!"
K : "!! Please don't cling so close to me! This is really embarrassing! We're not related or anything! I don't even know your name!!"
Ro : "Roberia."
K : "!?" (... Roberia?...)
Ro : "Remember that name. It's my name. Roberia."
K : (Roberia? There's a nice ring to it... What's her surname, though? If I can, I'd like to meet her family members. Or, if they hate me for being poor, avoid them, at least.) "... Okay... Roberia, what's your surname, by the way?"
Ro : "Guh!-..." (... Tacky question... I'd get busted the moment I say it, won't I?...) "... It doesn't matter, see. Since, well, you see, we're going to marry, and, well, I'm going to be Kotsuba Roberia soon anyway, you see."
*Cozy's Notes : You may have noticed by now. When Katachi is nervous, which he usually is when he talks to people without hurting them, he stutters a lot. When Roberia is nervous, and tries to explain herself, she uses a lot of 'see' and 'you see' between her sentences.*
K : (... Kotsuba Roberia?... Somehow, that sounds weird. It makes me feel weird inside... Like, I want it, but I don't want it at the same time...) "... Okay then... I'm just going to, uhm, go home. Are you... Are you... Coming along?"
Ro : "Let's go, then!"
And so, the lonely boy obtains a companion.
*** ***
The two stood before the huge, wooden door.
Katachi pushed it open slowly, and revealed the sight within.
The church hall had tiny, green crystals dangling from the ceiling. A skylight filters the light passing through the top, and the tiny crystals refract the light, bathing the interior with an unearthly-like glow. A huge portrait of Segus, made from stained glass, hang on the very back. Sconces hang from the walls, which light the church by night. There are 12 wooden church benches, and four doorways - The one to their immediate left for the living quarters such as toiletries and the kitchen, the far left for the sleeping quarters, the far right for a small closet to contain many tools such as shovels, shears, replacement parts, flower pots, addresses for the collectors and the like, and to their immediate right is a special room catered to the visitors - It has a couple of shelves filled with dried herbs and medicine, a small garden, a confession seat and a few magical objects and artifacts.
Seeing the church's unchanged interior made Katachi feel warm and homely, while Roberia, upon her first encounter, just admired in awe.
Ro : (Whoa... Ilpoh churches aren't this well-endowed. At least, I don't recall an Ilpoh altar to be this... Calming. Big, maybe, but not this. This place feels so... Soothing...)
The crystals atop actually have a special effect - The light they filter creates a calming sensation, by using viridian, a friendly color, to soothe a person's nerves via synesthesia. Katachi, however, had been oblivious to this effect - Something which has helped him calm down countless times whenever he's simply resting atop the benches, looking at Mother Rin listening to the ever-coming woes and helping other people regardless.
K : (? Where's Mother Rin? It's already past noon, but Mother Rin has a bad habit of delaying her lunch. Is she at the back, cooking?)
Katachi turned his head to face his left, and walked onwards into the living quarters.
Ro : (Wow... This place looks so... Grandeur...)
Ri : "Yes. You may come to pick it up anytime."
Ro : (? There's someone to my right?)
"Thank you, as always, Mother Rinnesfeld."
The two exit from the room to her right.
Ri : "Segus bless- Oh my!"
Upon laying eyes on the princess, Mother Rinnesfeld expressed her surprise.
Ro : (... This woman... Recognizes me... I've seen her before! She's the lady with the bag of bread, and she ate the bread dirtied on the road!) "... Uh... Hello."
"I'll be off now. I need to pick up my girls."
Ri : "Oh, yes, do take care. Segus bless you."
When the man left, Mother Rinnesfeld closed the door behind him, and turned around-
Ri : (-!!)
-to have her mouth covered by Roberia, with a fierce expression.
Ro : "... Listen very closely. That boy, Kotsuba Katachi, doesn't know who I am. And, I would, for personal reasons, like to keep it that way. Please, I beg of you, please pretend that you don't know who I am."
Mother Rinnesfeld's eyelids fell a bit, and she nodded her head slightly.
Roberia retracted her hand, and heaved a sigh.
Ro : "Katachi! Are you looking for this nun?"
A few moments later, rapid, uneasy footsteps were heard, and Katachi entered the hall.
K : "... ! Mother Rin!"
Ri : "Katachi!"
Katachi ran forward, and hugged the woman whom had been substituting his biological mother.
Ri : "Oh my! You've grown a bit, haven't you? Your height has finally reached my collarbone."
K : "I did?"
Ri : "You did! You weren't this tall before you went to the Magus Academy."
Katachi pulled himself back, and sat on a bench armrest.
K : "I guess I did."
Mother Rinnesfeld then peered over at the red-haired girl.
Ri : "And I see you got yourself a lovely partner! Who's the pretty young lady?"
Ro : (... She didn't expose me... What a relief...)
K : "Huh? Oh, her? She... She's Roberia, and... Well..."
Ri : "?"
K : "... A few... Things, happened along the way, and..."
Ri : "... ! Katachi! You didn't-..."
Mother Rinnesfeld walked towards Katachi, and whispered in his ear.
Ri : "You didn't happen to impregnate her or something, did you?"
K : "!!! MO- MOTHER!! I- I DID NO SUCH THING!!"
Ri : "... That's a relief, and a pity at the same time. So, why is she here?"
Ro : "Uhm..."
The two looked over at Roberia.
Ro : "... See, the thing is... We're getting married."
... Silence.
A merry bird chirps outside the church, and contributes to the void of sound within the church.
Ri : "... I'm guessing you two would like to tie the knot, under the oath of Segus?"
Ro : "What?! No!"
K : "Mother Rin!"
Ri : "But, why not? It's not like it's illegal or something."
And once again, the crickets outside too add to the ambience and emphasis of the silence.
Ro : "It's not illegal?"
K : "What do you mean, it's not illegal?! I'm not 13 yet!"
Ri : "What are you talking about, Katachi? You turned 13 last month. I just didn't get to celebrate it with you because you were away."
Their eyes were so wide, it almost popped out of their heads.
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