"My Lady, it's time to wake up. Your bath is ready."
I roll over to where the voice came from and start to feel around for my blanket in order to cover myself and avoid contact. When I manage to latch onto what feels like my blanket's fluff, I pull on it only to be crushed under the immense pressure of something heavy.
"Wahh! What's on me that's so heavy?!" I ask rubbing my eyes so that I can see clearly.
"My Lady," Michael groans from the sudden fall. "Are you okay? I'm pretty sure that I'm a heavy person to be under."
When I open my eyes, I find Michael trying to get up from the bed which takes me by surprise. Because of some weird reflex, I accidentally kick Michael off the bed.
"Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry! Are you okay, Michael?" I rush off the bed to help Michael stand up and brush off his clothes.
"I'm okay, my Lady," Michael responds, coughing a bit. "It's going to take a lot more than a kick to the chest to injure me." Michael uses his light magic to ease the pain as he fixes his clothes and holds out a hand. "Should we start getting you ready for morning practice on this fine Saturday morning?"
I place my hand in his and beam a warm smile. "I guess we should."
Sitting in the tub, I gaze at my reflection in the water.
Taking down someone as influential as Thanial Raphtale won't be an easy task. According to my father's documents, Thanial has been in the position as Head of Directors for the past thirty years. He was known as the youngest Head of Directors assuming the heirship at the age of twenty due to his late father's early death. Thanial's father was a kind hearted angel who felt compelled to help others, so his early death was imminent. Thanial was originally a kind hearted angel like his late father; however, he became cruel after the death of his wife who was his support.
That's how the implementation of the emergency scale came about. Thanial didn't want to spend his life force for something so useless to where he dies before his only son comes of age to take over. Thanial's greedy nature happened to spill over to his son's upbringing which naturally caused Nakir to become corrupted and greedy as well.
If I use the blackmail of Nakir being involved with an unauthorized operative, Thanial will try to refute this which is when Michael will come in as a sign that I am aware of everything. However, people like him don't like to go down so easily, so Thanial will try to say that I can't trust a liar and claim that everything Michael says is false. This is where I can pull in Isaac which will serve as a witness of Michael's actions during his time in Black Snow. Thanial will be put in a tight spot, so he will either try to refute Isaac's words or bribe me into silence. Such last resort tactics are child's play when his words are just a small portion of my big plan.
"Is there something on your mind, Lady Viola?" Michael asks, rinsing the shampoo from my head. "I called your name a few times, but you weren't responding."
"Ah, sorry. I was just deep in thought," I answer as I wipe the water off of my face.
"Is it about the meeting you will have this evening?"
"I'm just going over some of the basic information and planning my route of attack. I can't be even the least bit unprepared. I'm still new in the leadership field while Thanial has been working in it for a while. He has a greater advantage over me even though, in ranking terms, I'm above him."
"I'm pretty sure you will be fine. You always have a plan thoroughly laid out beforehand. If push comes to shove, you can always use your position to get what you want, but knowing you, that's the last thing you would want to do."
"Power doesn't automatically come from where you stand. It comes from the information you hold over your enemies. The more you know, the less the enemies can do. However, even though I may hold a lot of information, it can be rendered useless if used incorrectly, which is why I keep running several scenarios in my head in order to be prepared for anything."
"Well, an inexperienced princess such as yourself needs to get used to using people's information against them if you want to reign over the men who are supposed to be under you. You can't be having other city leaders trampling over you just because you are young and new." Michael rinses off the conditioner then holds out a hand. "Let's eat some breakfast then get to training. You haven't been able to train much this past week, but the twins, Isaac, and I have been training our butts off."
With Michael's help, I get out of the tub and stand on the rug to let him dry me. It isn't much longer until the training hall is within my sights.
"Edward! I'm here! Did you miss me?" I call out into the empty training hall that seems to carry my voice into the smallest of corners.
"Ah! Young Lady! It's great to finally see you getting back to training." Edward slips in from the doors behind me for a surprise attack to which I narrowly manage to block. "Hm? Your movements appear to be a bit lagging. Normally, you would have flung me across the room."
"My body is a bit rusty from the lack of practice," I groan as the pain in my forearm begins to set in. "Cut me some slack."
"If I do that, then you won't be strong. The weak take unnecessary breaks. The strong continue until they see blood. You should already be aware of this, Lady Viola." Edward paces over to the center of the training mat and points next to him. "After you finish warming up, join me here so that we can begin."
I rub my forearm where the pain only lingers.
Am I really out of shape? I know it's only been a few days, but I didn't realize that I would have gotten worse. I thought I was good enough for practice to turn into muscle memory by now. Was I just being cocky because of the new strengths I've acquired? Is five months really not enough time for my body to get used to all of this heavy training?
"My Lady?" Alex and Xander each place a hand on my shoulders. Expressions of worry plaster itself all over their faces.
"I'll be fine," I reassure with an awkward laugh. "Nothing that a little retraining can't help."
It was only thirty minutes. Thirty minutes and I had nothing to show for it.
"Harder! Your punches used to pack more umph! Where did all of that fighting spirit go?!"
I swing round after round after round of punches into the punching bag that Edward is holding. I used to be able to last longer, but now, I'm starting to run out of breath.
"Stop! That's enough."
I fall onto the floor exhausted from the nonstop movement, heaving deep breaths to regulate my breathing again.
"Young Lady, are you okay?" Edward squats next to me as he sets a cold water bottle on my forehead. "Something seems to be bothering you."
"What makes you say that?" I ask as I sit up in order to drink the water.
"Your eyes are unfocused. When you first started training, you had passion and fire burning in you which led to you gaining immeasurable strength in such a short amount of time. When I looked into your eyes today, they were flat as if something had put a damper on the fire."
I don't answer at first. I just sit staring at the water bottle for a minute or two. "I'm tackling my first city-wide problem, and although I'm confident that I can accomplish my duty as the city's protector, there's still a part of me that feels as if I wasn't meant to take on such an important role. My father still had the former head of the family to at least provide some guidance. I'm here by myself with no one to tell me that I'm going in the right direction."
Edward looks down at me then roughs up my hair. "You know, I was so shocked when I found your father talking to himself one day. He was having such a serious conversation with what seemed to me to be nothing. It wasn't until later that he told me that he could speak with the other Winter Vessels. I was so taken back that I almost didn't believe him. I mean we were just some rowdy teenagers, but I knew that he wouldn't make up such a story.
"Viola, always remember that you will never be alone. Your father as well as all of the previous Winter Vessels are with you to help guide you. I'm pretty sure your father has spoken to you at least once, right? That's the guidance you are looking for. It's not just going to be your father, either. The other Winter Vessels could make an appearance to assist you if they are better suited for the problem than your father.
"What I'm getting at is that you will always have someone to help guide you. They just won't always be beside you. You will have to feel for yourself and believe that what you are doing is right. If it's not, then I'm pretty sure your father or any of the other Winter Vessels will pop up and redirect you. If you aren't seeing them, then that should at least mean that you are doing something right. Don't doubt yourself too much, kiddo. You are going to be just fine as long as you have the right people around you."
The right people, huh?
I look up to where the twins are sparring together. Determination and drive radiate from their bodies as they give their all in each punch and kick that flies through the air. Motivated, I stand from the ground and put my hands on my hips.
"A master should show no weakness in the face of the enemy. Strength won't come to me if I just sit around and wait for it." I look down at Edward with a proud smile on my face. "I got some pent up frustration that I need to release. Do you mind helping me out?"
"It would be my pleasure, Young Lady," Edward laughs as he gets back on his feet.
After practice and a nice shower, the twins and I head back to the house where I will be working on some overdue papers that I have been neglecting for the past few days.
"Delic~ I thought you would have helped me out and reduced some of the paperwork," I complain as I face plant onto my desk.
With a tray of hot chocolate and cookies, Delic closes the door behind him and approaches my desk. "If I had done that, then you wouldn't get to feel the pressure of your position," he remarks with a smug look on his face. "I signed off and completed most of the least important documents for you, so all that should be left are the more important ones."
"But the stack is almost a foot tall!! What could be going on that these many documents are the 'more important ones'?"
"First off, if you look at the stack carefully, all of those papers are bundled together in sections meaning each bundle is one project. Each bundle contains the background of the project, who is in charge of each part, prospective environmental and health impact, potential financial costs and repayments, and other miniscule information.
"Secondly, as the city's guard dog, you must familiarize yourself with everything that goes on within the city in order to ensure peace and safety among the residents which is why I left the more important ones for you to look over. You must judge whether the potential project could harm or help the residents. Whether it would do more good than bad to the local environment. And whether it can withstand a long period of time or not.
"You must feel the weight of your position and the things that you have neglected due to your tunnel vision. You mustn't forget what your main job is."
I'm getting lectured again... It happens at least once a month. It's too early in the morning for a lecture, especially since it's the weekend. I just want the day to go by so that I can crush those rotten angels. That would be more fun than having to sit here and listen to Delic repeat the same thing over and over.
I raise my head from the desk and take a deep breath. "Okay, okay, sorry for having such tunnel vision. Jeez... I'll get started right away."
"Isn't it getting a bit chilly here?" Alex whispers to Xander while they sit on the long chair by the table.
"I thought it was my imagination, but you feel it too, huh," Xander answers as he rubs his shoulders.
The twins look over at me and leap out of their seats. The rug that the desk sits on is frosted over, and the bottom edge of the desk itself has traces of ice forming on it.
"Delic! You made Lady Viola upset," Alex scolds as he grabs the shawl from around Delic's waist in order to wrap me in it.
"I'm aware, but Master must be scolded for neglecting her duties. That is also part of our job as her aides," Delic replies with his arms crossed.
"You still didn't have to be so harsh about it," Xander butts in as he quickly picks up the hot chocolate before it freezes over. "What are you so frustrated about?"
"I-I'm not frustrated about anything!" Delic suddenly yells. "I'm just looking out for Master even if that means that I have to be hard on it."
I try my best to hold it in, but my laughter gets the better of me. The frosty ice disappears while the guys stand in shock at my outburst.
"Was something funny, Lady Viola?" Alex asks as he starts to remove the shawl.
Wiping the emerging tear from my eyes, I sit back on my chair with a stupid smile on my face. "It's been a while since I got scolded by anyone. Watching Delic getting chewed out by the twins was extremely funny to watch, too." I let out a sigh and reposition myself in the chair to get comfortable. "Thank you, Delic, for reminding me. Although, you really didn't have to be so harsh about it."
"Master~" Delic whines as he limps over and hugs me.
"What does this idiot think he's doing?!" the twins yell as they attempt to pry Delic off of me.
It is all fun and games until Isaac comes running into my room out of breath.