Her Majesty's Trials

There was a half-wilted Hydrangea hidden away in a vase, at the very back of the Royal Library. It never fully wilted, eternally stuck in a state of Just Not Having Enough Water. Sabine was quite familiar with the flower, as every day when she sat down with her book, she would greet the blue-tinged flower, scoot herself in comfortably to the seat, and read for two hours. On occasion, she would give a slight "Ah" or "Oh, I see" or even the rare "I knew it!" Sabine was today reading a treatise on the rare Crystalline Lily and their magical properties. She had just slid her bookmark out of the chapter page on Precise Lunar alignments when the distant sound of wood creaking caught her attention. Few visited the library, even fewer still during midday when most were taking their second meal. Sabine tucked her slippered feet up under her as she leaned in the window seat, the weak light filtered through cloud and glass to her page. "Alright, we left off at... Right, The point of Twinning Moons. Shall we?" She nodded to her floral companion and buried her nose, ignoring the sound of shuffling that was drawing closer to where she sat. "...bine? Lady Sabine?" A voice broke the focus just as Sabine was getting to the good part. She looked up with irritation, blinking at the sight of a Imperial Courier. "I've a letter for you from Her Majesty." He held out a tight scroll sealed with ruby-red wax pressed with a seal. Sabine took the scroll and sighed. Being summoned by Her Majesty was never pleasant but this reeked of a Formal Invitation, which meant refusing would just embarrass her mother. She slipped her bookmark back into place and cracked the wax, watching as a lazy swirl of gold dust puffed up and away, signaling that the letter had been received. There would be no lying her way out of this one. To Dauphine Sabine of House Secundus- The Honor of Your Presence is Formally Requested for a Private Dinner, which is to be held at Eighth Bell. Sabine groaned, not even bothering to finish reading the letter. Formal Dinners were always so bothersome, especially when Her Majesty called them. She swiped a loose quill off the nearest table and scrawled a quick confirmation letter, rolled it up tightly, then bit her thumb just hard enough to draw out a few drops of blood and pressed it to where a seal would have otherwise gone. Once the scroll was finished, she handed it to the courier who had been hovering a few feet away, waiting. "Please deliver this to Her Majesty promptly. If she needs me I will be returning to my chambers after a small lunch. Good Day." Sabine gave a curtsey, but her face was twisted up in a slightly revolted expression. She'd been hoping that the otherwise free afternoon would stay that way, she'd been wanting to go riding. ----- The West Tower was also called the Glass Tower. It had the largest enchanted windows, filling the whole space with dazzling light in the afternoons. Sabine had requested it specifically when she was moved in, and now it was bursting with greenery, a verdant magical jungle complete with a few exotic birds charmed to stay. Sabine kept her hands folded, chin level, eyes down, and steps small. A bush of burning orange-and-yellow flowers brushed her blue skirt, leaving a swipe of pollen on the deep silk. Sabine ignored it. At the top of the tower was her room. She closed the door behind her and just threw herself onto her bed, the heavy blue blankets muffling her groan as she weakly pounded on the fabric. There was a knock at the door before it opened, and a girl only a year or two older than Sabine let herself in. She wore her mousy brown hair in a single plait over her shoulder, and the simple black dress and apron of the lower maids. "Lady Sabine, I see you've received the invitation." The maid crossed the room to the heavy oaken door that led to Sabine's closet and threw it open. "Shall we go with the beaded gown tonight or would you rather wear that daring silk one Lord Montelroy gifted you?" "Hyacinth, how can you be so blase about my impending doom?" Sabine rolled herself over and stared up at her canopy- blue, just like everything else in her life. "I'll wear the silk. At least if I'm going to be humiliated, I'll look like I deserve it." "Excellent Choice, Lady Sabine. I'll prepare your bath." Hyacinth bowed and retreated to the bathing room, leaving Sabine to keep staring up at the canopy overhead. She reached up, willing her power out through her fingertips. A faint blue crackle shot out, arcing a few tiny sparkles of electricity. It wasn't much, but it was Magic. Sabine's own Magic. ----- Hyacinth rubbed a floral oil over Sabine's shoulders as she soaked in the steaming tub. At her feet, a cluster of white crystals glowed in a rythmic pattern, and Sabine matched her breathing to them. After the bath, Hyacinth toweled Sabine dry, then rubbed a creamy lotion on her face. Sabine clutched at a heavy sapphire necklace that never left her throat, the stones glimmering with internal light. As she slipped into the blue silk, with Hyacinth artfully arranging the folds of the sinfully low neckline, Sabine gazed at herself in the mirror. As one of four Imperial Bastards, she inherited Emperor Vaelor's pure black eye color. But everything else was a carbon copy of her mother- dark brown hair with just a bit too much curl to manage, eerie pale skin, the high cheekbones and thin lips of a Northerner, and the slight perpetual scowl of an unpopular noble. Hyacinth draped a sheer sparkling cape over Sabine's shoulders. "You know, I think this may be my best work yet. Would you like to do the honors?" Sabine smiled, grabbing the gauzy material and giving a slow spin, pushing just a tiny bit of mana into the threads, which jumped to life. The cape went from simply sparkling in the late afternoon light, to dazzling as it began to illuminate the room around it. "Excellent work, my lady! Let's see them look down when you walk in with this!" Hyacinth beamed, taking it all in. "Thank you for this, Hy. Really, I mean it." Sabine paused, taking her maid's hands. "You outdid yourself this time." "Hush, my lady. You gave me everything I needed to make this, its me who should be thanking you." "You put this together, take the credit already. I'll make sure Samuel takes you shopping next week for as much fabric as you want." Sabine looked out at the setting sun. "It's almost time. I should get going." Hyacinth escorted Sabine to the base of Glass Tower, waving goodbye from the doorway as a maid of the Central Palace arrived to escort Sabine the rest of the way. The Upper Maid wore a black dress as well, but made of a much heavier, more expensive material. They walked in silence, Sabine keeping her back straight and eyes slightly down as they walked, only glancing up when acknowledged by one of the Knights or Maids. At the base of the stairs, another maid joined them, escorting a girl the same age as Sabine, wearing a pale pink dress that seemed to be constructed entierly of flower petals, layered over and over again to make a gown. "Sister Sabine." "Sister Lissa." Sabine tried to hide her smile at the faint twitch on her half-sister's face. Elisabetta hated her nickname just as much as she hated Sabine. The girls walked in silence, matching their paces and postures exactly. It had been a constant war, but only one that could be fought in secrecy. A word of praise from a tutor versus a commendation of form on one's dancing; perfect posture versus perfect speech; advanced magical lessons versus having tea with the children of dignitaries- Sabine and Elisabetta would never raise a hand to one another (at least not anymore), but their fight was just as dirty as the lowest of pub brawls. Two more girls and two more maids awaited them at the large wood doors inlaid with fine gold filigree. In a simple green gown with a white sash sat Claudia, who slouched in one of the available chairs. Her maid was quietly fussing over the intricate braids in the girl's hair. Standing, was Merida in a yellow dress that seemed to be moving of it's own will, a faint scent of a summer breeze fluttering by Sabine's nose as she nodded. Her maid had been roped into helping fix Claudia's braids, so she sidled up to her two other half-sisters. "So, what do you suppose it is?" Merida whispered. "Did someone die?" "Doubtful, it's probably just an early check-in since the Arkillian Princes will be here within a fortnight." Lissa placed a white-gloved finger under her chin. "I heard Contessa Graykin telling her sister that they're bringing Gryphons." "Gryphons this far south? They'll melt in the heat if the Princes intend on staying through until the Confirmation Ceremony." Sabine crossed her arms, raising her eyes as if picturing the beasts in the brutal summer afternoon sun. "Why are they trying to show off?" "Boys always show off, Innocent Sabine." Lissa chuckled. "Maybe if you took your nose out of your books every now and again you would have seen that." Sabine ignored the barb. "Maybe this is about the Confirmation. They haven't even announced which of the Imperial Children they've selected to be Crowned. I suppose we wouldn't be completely out of the running, even if our chances are near nothing." Claudia finally joined them, batting off the maids who were still trying to turn her practical hairstyle into something more 'befitting a Lady'. "Clover told me that the Princes are probably here to pick up brides from all the spares that aren't Crowned." "Clover would know how, exactly?" Lissa snorted a delicate little laugh. "Rosa says Clover snuck off with a stableboy not three nights ago, Claudia. Maybe you should keep a better eye on your maid?" "Lissa, shut up." Merida mumbled, turning to face the door. "It's almost time." They each turned to face the door. Sabine gripped her cape and pushed mana into it, restarting the sparkles. Elisabette fluffed her skirt, scattering fresh pink petals around her. Merida flipped her hair a few times, the magical breeze around her picking up slightly. Claudia just cracked her neck, green veins of magic just barely visible flashing under her skin. The bell rang eight times int he distance, and the doors opened. "Presenting the Imperial Select, Ladies Sabine, Elissabette, Merida, and Claudia Secundus!" A crier called out. The title may have sounded special, but it was simply just rude to call a lady a 'Bastard' in public. Each of the four girls bowed, keeping their eyes glued to their feet. There was a pause, then a female voice passed over them. "Ladies, please be seated." Empress Beatrice Vaelor was seated at the head of the table, next to the empty seat that had once belonged to the Emperor. Sabine sat with her half-sisters and watched as the other end of the table filled up with the Actual Royal Children. Half-siblings she'd only met once or twice at most. She knew a few names and faces vaguely, and had exchanged words with some of them, but they lived in completely different worlds. Once everyone was seated, Empress Beatrice raised her hands up, looking down bothe ends of the table. "Children, we have much to discuss. But first, eat! Matters of national import are better discussed on a full stomach!" The Kitchen staff began wheeling out carts heavy with food. With practiced precision, each one laid out a loaded plate in front of one of the seated royalty. The Imperial Children ate off shimmering crystal dishes, while the Imperial Select dined on charmed silver (to reisist poison). Sabine sipped her soup, carefully buttered her roll, and took small bites of the roast duck presented to her. Across the table, she watched as Prince Edrick placed his elbow up to drink deeper of his wineglass, Princess Talinmar chewing with her mouth open, and Prince Adilliams stealing his twin Lokina's roll. Her Majesty ate in silence. As plates were carried away and wineglasses refilled, Sabine turned her eyes to the woman who had called them all here. She was enjoying a bit of chilled custard topped with berries while her children began to grow restless. There was... Something off about her expression. Distant, a bit forlorn, maybe even... Upset? The Empress finished her dessert, and rose as the head chef took her plates with a bow, one of the staff refilling her glass. "Imperial Children, Imperial Select, I have called you all here to make a grave announcement. I have received a prophecy from The Church, and they have handed down the Rules for Succession of this generation." There was a beat of silence before the Imperial Children began shouting, demanding their mother tell them Right Now who was going to be chosen. Merida made eye contact with Sabine and they shared a look of annoyance as the Empress raised her hand to silence her biological children. "I'm afraid that there has been a vision, and the High Priest himself visited to make sure I knew of how serious this was. These are the parameters that must be used to choose a Successor now that Emperor Maximillian is gone." Empress Beatrice sighed deeply. "The Successor is to be chosen from only those of you who have any Natural Magic whatsoever, and those of you who do have Magic will be tested in a series of Trials designed to test your limits. This is the final descision." There was a long silence after that statement as Sabine and the other Selects all stared across the table at the siblings they barely knew. Only One Legitimate Heir had Magic.