***
By the entrance to the other room, stood two figures in the dark. They watched Shilla explain herself, in silence.
"Do you think she is lying, Wensworth?" the headmistress asked.
"Does it matter? You seem not to have learnt anything," Wensworth seemed annoyed he was called all the way here just to watch some maids fight about who gets more attention from their lady.
"Do you expect me to just let that little thing go?" the headmistress asked.
"Do you think you still have the support of the queen? Be careful, you may just end up like her," Wensworth warned.
"Are you saying she caused that?" the headmistress snorted.
"This is why you have always been on the losing end of society. You think you know too much when you know nothing," Wensworth said.
"You..." the headmistress started to say.
"Noble society, those high and mighty men you cannot sit beside and talk to as equals, they all fear her. Do you know why? Because this has happened before; people oppose the lady and end up like the queen; and each time, those with their noses in the clouds like yourself were utterly destroyed. Do whatever you wish to do, but do not call me into it anymore. Since you wish to fall, do so alone," Wensworth said and left. The headmistress felt no fear; she sneered at Wensworth's leaving back.
***
Night had descended before Mrs Fionette returned home. She had asked her daughter, Lana to return before her, while she ran some errands. She returned home to her husband waiting for her in the sitting room. She looked around and found her entire family was there; her son seemed in thought while her daughter was brooding.
"What is happening? Why are you all here?" Mrs Fionette asked.
"I heard you have plans to marry Lana to the Krains' first son," her husband replied.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but..." she started to explain.
"Lana will marry into nobility, I thought I had made this clear," her husband frowned.
"Lana is sixteen this year. Still, we have not had the opportunity to forge a relationship with any sort of noble family. The Krains..." she started to say.
"...Have no title! What were you thinking?" her husband scolded.
"Sure they don't but you have never been there, dear. Their mansion and property are much better than ours, they have some connections with some nobility..." she insisted. She understood her husband was a prideful man. He had never tried to make some sort of connection with the Krains.
"What sort of connection could their son make that our Gerald has not made?" Mr Fionette snorted.
"Father, the last time I was there with mother, the two lords that came, were those you said you wanted to meet," Lana said.
"Who?" Mr Fionette asked without care.
"Lord of Merve and Lord Morge. I wouldn't have known it was them if Gerald had not pointed them out the other day as they passed," Lana said.
"You already knew this Lana, yet you insisted on having a title. What changed your mind? Meeting him?" Gerald mocked his sister who snorted in return.
"Money. He has money. Money we could never imagine having. Even if I became a Baroness, I would still be below the woman he would marry. Title? The Mclears had no title, yet Mrs Mclears sat at the very peak of society," Lana answered.
"What money?" Mr Fionette snorted, before turning to his wife, "Do you have proof that these were the lords she had seen?" he asked her.
"Someone come!" his wife called and a maid appeared.
"Bring that girl from the Krain estate," she instructed and the maid left.
"I had instructed the maids to find and pay a little slave from their estate to tell me some things. I have yet to meet her, so you can ask her all you want," Mrs Fionette said.
"Why would you do that?" Mr Fionette frowned.
"Do you think I would not prepare before sending my daughter to them as a wife? I have to be satisfied first before Lana can marry into their family," Mrs Fionette answered.
"I will marry Walter. It's what I want, mother. You have to make it happen," Lana insisted.
"No matter how much money you think they have, you cannot let yourself be muddle-headed," Mrs Fionette frowned at her daughter. This girl was usually very level-headed, what happened?
"If you don't act fast, he will be taken from me. There was a woman today that made sure I never got to talk to him. The way she clung to him; she is probably a lover. He bought her a token from Madame D'huile," Lana explained with a frown. With the look on her face, one could see she did not think well of this woman.
"A woman? He sure has means," Gerald's eyes shrunk as he nodded in admiration.
"Madame D'huile?" Mrs Fionette was stiff. Her husband saw the look in her eyes and frowned. This was one of the things his wife always wanted. How could he not understand what it took to get a token from there when his wife has been saving her entire life for it.
"That's a lot of money," Mr Fionette frowned.
"You could always compete with her," Gerald mocked his sister, whose eyes suddenly filled with anger.
"No. I can't compete. She referred to herself as a princess. With the look on Walter's face, she really was," Lana answered.
"A princess?" Mrs Fionette frowned.
"Mother, you know we have nothing for me to compete with others, but we will pass through his family. Even if she is a princess, she must be very hard to keep. She would be very hard to marry, as Walter has not a title. So, I still have a chance," Lana said and a knock came from the door.