Chapter 108: The Lady Had Arrived
LEO
I had no idea what ’Second Consort’ was. The closest word I knew to ’consort’ was ’comfort,’ but she didn’t seem to make anyone comfortable.
Everyone around me had suddenly become so stiff that I wondered if I was sitting wrong. I straightened my back a little and put my hands on my knees, copying the student in front of me. Then I noticed his hands were actually resting on his thighs, so I moved mine there instead.
She did look very pretty and strong, though. She had the strong, springy steps of a good farm lady who could carry a barrel full of fresh milk she squeezed out of a cow in the early morning, while, at the same time, her face was pretty like a well-made dark porcelain doll with a natural sheen.
One thing was for sure—the lady certainly didn’t look like she was from this part of the Empire. Maybe a bit like me, then.
I also didn’t know how to greet her properly while every other student seemed to know, but judging by how the Dean bowed and everyone followed, at least it seemed clear that she was someone very, very important and high in position.
Once we were all seated, she began to give a speech.
"Dear students of the Royal Knights Academy. It is my pleasure and honor to be invited here to celebrate this joyous day together."
I then knew, immediately, that she was from somewhere in Southern Avelaine. The Yapian traders sometimes travelled together with that bunch. The Yeps had their handcrafted things, and the Southern Avelainians were famous for dried meat, although I’d heard that they were quite different from the Northern Avelainians, like how I was different from Dimitri, a Moravik from the North.
I remembered one Southern Avelainian trader who came to Erdville three summers in a row. He sold strips of dried meat so salty that Davi once ate four of them and drank almost an entire bucket of water afterwards. His accent was even thicker than this lady’s, but the way some of the words rolled around in his mouth sounded similar.
In any case, this lady had that distinct thick accent of the Southern Avelainians that I met in trade markets.
"I am always impressed by the discipline and commitment shown by the Royal Knights, and I can feel the same spirit from everyone in this room. BUT, from today, the Autumn Festival starts. A festival is a time when you can throw your discipline away, for a change, and commit to having fun. I am really looking forward to seeing the passion, the joy, and the energy that only young people like you can produce."
Hell yeah! This was the moment I knew I liked this lady. She knew what a festival should be like.
"Relax and loosen your collars, roll up your sleeves and talk loud. Sing and dance as you please, and let’s all have a lot of fun today. Let the Autumn Festival of the Royal Knights Academy begin!"
I naturally jumped up from my seat and applauded, which earned me a very quick and cold glare from Instructor Knox on the stage, so I sat down again immediately, cowering. But maybe I started something I shouldn’t have, because everyone else also got up from their seats to applaud. From the stage, the Dean got up first among the staff and also applauded, after which everyone else followed, including Instructor Knox, which made me think it was okay for me to get up again too, so I got up again and clapped my hands enthusiastically.
The Second Consort lady waved her hands at us, smiling. I waved back as well, and at one point, our eyes met, and to my surprise, she winked.
I’d never been winked at by someone so well-dressed and seemingly high in position before, so I didn’t know what to do, but thought the only polite thing to do was to wink back, so I did, which earned me an even bigger smile from the good lady.
The event ended with cheerful marching music from the band as the lady got off the stage and walked out the same way she came in, and this time I knew to shout "Honor to the Imperial House" like everyone else, so it was all good. But this time, as she walked down the aisle, she was followed by some of the staff and the student council (including Mario!), which made me think that maybe they were going to help her look around the festival (it was a big campus, after all). Mario looked very serious as he walked with them. I wanted to wave at him, but considering how everybody around him was behaving, I decided that maybe this wasn’t the right time. Besides, he probably already had enough things to worry about without me distracting him.
It was then that Liesel ran up to me and said,
"Leo, we must run to the exhibition hall quickly! I’d just been told that the Second Consort will come to see our pictures soon!"
"Already?!"
So we rushed out of the hall as well. Fabian joined us along the way and Blanche turned up too, but she refused to run and just walked rather fast.
"Come on, Blanche!" Liesel shouted back at her.
"I’m coming."
"Run!"
"This is me walking faster."
I thought Blanche was actually walking very fast by Blanche standards, so I didn’t complain.
Once we arrived, we waited for Blanche a little. She then came and unlocked the door. We went in, and Blanche locked the door again.
I went over to my picture one last time even though there was absolutely nothing I could change anymore. I checked the corners. I checked the frame. I checked the picture itself as if something might have gone wrong with it overnight.
Nothing had.
Then she said,
"Guys, don’t be afraid. And whatever you do—don’t lower yourselves. We are artists. We must take pride in our work. We did not work on our things for the past weeks to please anyone but ourselves. If she asks any questions about your work, answer honestly as you feel. Got it?"
I thought Blanche sounded like some sports team captain, and she was surprisingly good at it. I felt more confident and motivated, although I thought the visiting lady probably wasn’t a difficult woman who’d get us in trouble, so I thought we’d be fine.
She winked at me, after all.
Then I heard a knock and a familiar voice outside the door.
"Blanche, open the door."
It was Mathias.
"You can’t come in," Blanche shot back immediately.
"Blanche, don’t be difficult now. I let you do whatever you wanted to do for the past weeks. Let’s be fair now."
Blanche hesitated, looking conflicted. She then looked at me and, finally, gestured for me to open the door.
I wasn’t sure why she picked me, but I did as I was told.
Mathias walked into the room and closed the door behind him.
He smiled at me briefly when he saw me, but he looked busy. Or worried. Maybe both. Either way, it was unusual.
"Let me see the works now," he said.
"You can’t—" Liesel said, but she was cut off by Blanche.
"It’s okay, Liesel. Let the old man have a look first. Everyone will see them soon anyway. Why don’t you show your work to him first?"
Hearing that, Liesel led Mathias to her painting first, which he looked at for three seconds and said,
"It’s good. Marius. It’s good. Let’s look at the next one."
"Fabian, show him," Blanche said.
Fabian then brought him to where his sculpture was displayed, which earned Mathias’s approval too.
"Good. Next."
He was quick to judge.
Blanche then nodded to me, which I took as the cue to show him my work. I brought Mathias over to my drawing. Mathias looked at it, was silent for a second, shook his head, and said to me,
"Well done, Leo. Now, Blanche."
I smiled automatically at the praise, although the way he shook his head confused me.
Maybe he didn’t like it.
Or maybe he thought the picture was strange.
It was strange.
I decided ’well done’ was good enough for me.
Blanche then headed toward her painting, which was covered with a white cloth.
Unlike the rest of us, she hadn’t uncovered hers after we entered. I hadn’t thought much of it before. Blanche did things however Blanche wanted to do them. But now Mathias stared at the white cloth instead of at Blanche.
"Open it," Mathias said, rather impatiently, which was unusual.
Blanche smiled and took the cover off.
Mathias examined the picture for three seconds, then his eyes widened, and he blurted out—
"Blanche, you—"
"Her Imperial Highness, the Second Consort of His Imperial Majesty!"
The same man who announced her arrival at the opening ceremony entered the exhibition hall.
The lady had arrived.