It was morning and a maid came in my room to wake me. She was thin and was wearing a white maid's uniform, her hair was tied in a bun. She helped me bathe and get changed to my my yellow dress. The clothes in this world are like the dresses during the Victorian Era, with long and puffy skirts. She was quiet the whole time and only spoke when she gave me instructions. I find it weird that she never actually seem to talk to me. In tgis body's memories, it has always been like this.
She guided me to the dining room where my family are already seated. She pulled my chair for me to sit and stood near the wall.
We exchanged greetings politely and proceeded to eating. My parents talked about some business which I guess are instructed to them by my sisters. We all acted like how the Castellans usually acted. After breakfast, we all went to my father's study for a meeting. Father instructed the guards to stand by the door and not let anyone in unless it was an emergency.
"My god!" our mother, the new Archduchess, Anastasia Myr Castellian exclaimed when we closed the door. She was a beautiful slender woman in her early thirty's with blond hair and green eyes, the only one who doesn't have the Castellian's Silver hair and purple eyes. "What are we going to do now?"
"This is our new life now mother, there is nothing we can do but to live it." Athy replied.
"I have absolutely no idea how to be an archduke Lai." Our father, the new Archduke of Westreon, replied worriedly calling my youngest sister by her old name. He was a stern-looking man in his mid-thirty's, insanely handsome with silver hair and purple eyes.
"We should start by getting used to call and be called by our new names and titles." Athy answered. "You have memories of the old archduke so it should be fine father."
"Sis," Uriel looked at me," we have a problem. Mother and father both have no abilities."
"What? Why is that?"
"We are also not sure but it is that. It will be a problem if they are not protected and can't protect themselves."
I looked at my parents and understood the problem. Our house has a lot of enemies, not just our kingdom's enemies but other nobles as well. As our house is the highest noble house next to the royal family. My father being the Archduke holds more power than the queen. He is the second most powerful man in the kingdom next to the King, in terms of social status. Our mother has the same power as the queen and us daughters holds the same power as the crown prince. As a result, we have a lot of enemies.
Our family has been keeping away from the capital and staying in our archduchy, Westreon, located west of the kingdom. We have been protecting the lands, people and the kingdom's west boundary against other kingdoms and enemies.
"Father also needs to lead the Knights of Noktis to war." Athy added.
"Wait, let me think."
"Mother needs to lead the household, the businesses, accountings, and social gatherings. Assasisations are never-ending when she goes out so she stays at home instead." Uriel added.
"Let me think." I replied again thinking of ways to protect them. "Our abilities are endless if we sisters join together."
"That's it!" I smiled at Athy.
She looked at me and raised her eyebrow. "What?"
"You can summon spirits and order them right?" I asked her.
"Yeah? But what can it d-." Athy didn't finish her sentence. She slapped her forehead as if realizing something."Of course! I can just order strong spirits to protect them! Why did I not think of that?"
"Strong spirits?" Uriel asked.
"Yes, my ability to summon spirits also lets them be able to use their abilities and strength when they were alive! I can even let them hide in their shadows and come out when they need to. They can even send me messages no matter where they are! How could I forget that? Urgh!"
"Good. You should summon the strongest ones you have now and we will choose who will protect mother and father." I told her.
"Right." Athy stood up and extended her hand in front of her with the palm facing down.
"Wait!" I interrupted, "Let me make a barrier against people outside seeing and feeling our powers." I created an invisible water barrier. "Okay, this should be good enough."
"Come forth." Athy said in an ordering voice. At first there was nothing, then, black shadow-like swirls seeped out from the floor slowly taking different forms. There were about ten spirits kneeling in front of Athy.
This is the first time I saw her use her ability and it was fascinating. Dark, yes, but fascinating. I can feel the strength of the spirits who are kneeling and I know that they are powerful.
"Stand up and let us see your faces." Athy said and the spirits all stood up. The one that caught my attention were the four who looked like humanoid monsters. I can feel such strong powers from them and I can tell that my sisters also felt it.
"The four of you," Athy pointed at them,"What race are you and how did you die?"
"We are high orcs from the demon race master." The orc with a chief hat replied."I was the leader, Gorya and these three were once my generals who fought for the peace of our clan. I died of old age with General Skirr while generals Amir and Erid died from battle."
General Skirr was reddish in color wearing a skull with horns on his left arm and some kind of skirt or a native cloth that looks like a skirt. Amir was wearing the same style of clothes but he had a necklace made with big round beads. Erid was wearing a skirt too but he had tattoos on his body.
I looked at the other spirits and a knight in full armor caught my eyes.
"You, come in front and answer the same questions." I pointed at him.
"I am Alvera Elquine my lady." I was shocked that she was actually a female. "I am a knight of the Alfien Kingdom. I died in battle while protecting the back of my comrades as they retreated. I fought hundreds of knights for three days and three nights before I was defeated."
"Athy, assign Erid and Alvera to protect mother while Amir and Skirr for father."I said. The other spirits disappeared and only the four chosen ones remained.
"From today forward, you will protect my parents. I will inject your spirits in their shadows, if danger comes to them, you may show yourselves and protect them. Do you understand?"Athy instructed the spirits.
"Yes master!" they chorused and turned to black shadows that went into our parents shadows.
"Is that okay?" mother asked.
"It should be more than enough to protect you, but we will still have knights accompany you outside." I answered.
"For father, you should leave the Knights to me. Athy, you should handle the internal affairs of our lands, the businesses, the hiring of personnel and household affairs." I looked at Athy and she nodded.
"What about me sis?" Uriel asked.
"You will handle the external affairs, going outside Westreon, and handling the royals and other nobles. Also take kare of our family's image outside."
"Got it." Uriel smiled. I know how much she likes to travel that is why I assigned it to her.
"What about us?" Father asked.
"You will still work as the archduke and archduchess. Just sign whatever papers Athy asks you to sign. You also need to show your faces outside. I will find knights to attend to you. Also ne--." I wasn't able to finish what I was saying because I felt someone entered my barrier.
The knights outside knocked on the door and informed us that a messenger has an emergency report. We let the messenger in and listened to his abrupt report.
"Your Excellency, my ladies, count Polit has crossed the Fedam river with his army and has declared war against House Castellan."