Looking down a large cat had roosted in her lap. Lady Tiffaney was surprised, for the noble expected something more lethal, less lethargic.
Her minutes elapsed at that moment, from behind a dog bounded over, resting its head on the free space on her thigh. Two small papillons materialized from the underside of the couch rooting to her feet. Her head was occupied by the smuggest munchkin cat the world had ever seen. If that wasn't enough a full-sized sable German shepherd sat on the couch cushion next to her before leaning into the small girl, completely covering her torso.
"I did warn you the other day that it was a fate the likes of which one can't not conceive." Standing from her chair, she walked over and scratched the shepherd who refused to move until she had extorted enough pets from his captive. Realizing they had a new prisoner another long lanky calico sauntered from the strange shelves in the room before laying across her neck like a scarf.
"They won't let you go until you scratch, pet or warm them sufficiently." She looked at the noble who was trapped under the mess of fur before softening a bit.
"Miss Tiffaney you are needed here, so please don't try to run. We will do everything we can to take care of you. Even if you chose not to inherit my title when the time comes, I will guarantee you a happy future." Returning to her chair the Lady continued without a concerning for the slowly roasting noble trapped to her couch.
"Maid Ruby did well to ensure you wore something light, girl must have foreseen this happening. Beyond that you will spend the next two days with me getting special lessons, then return to instructor rose to complete your core basics. Once done it will be formal heir training and specialty lessons. I intend to see you able to take on this whole world." Her voice was fierce held, darkness, fury and steel.
"I have a lot to finish tonight so when you finally free yourself rest well, we will meet in the morning for your history lesson." The whole chair rotated and spun as the lady of the house returned to her work. What that entailed was a mystery to the noble, but in entailed looking at the large pane on the office wall and pressing a few buttons on her armrest.
Tiffaney was in a crisis. While she never imagined that such a loving ball of fluff and happiness could exist, the combined body heat of the group was rapidly exceeding reasonable limits. Starting with the biggest dog that was eying her out of the corner of its eye, as it pretended to not be paying attention to the girl. Defeated by the soft look in the animals' eyes, the noble issued pets and scratches.
Hissing formed on her lap as the cat did not like the slight displacement the noble made. Groaning softly to herself Tiffaney hoped she could escape before she transformed into jerky. Eventually, an unknown number of hours later the noble was finally free to escape. Her dress was sweat soaked and completely matted with pet fur. It now possessed a lovely chocolate cream coloring.
"Your dress looks quite lovely" Maid Cintron flashed a wooden grin as she was returned to her room. Her thoughts we muddled as she was unable to decide what to do. She was unaware of what the various workbenches nor the strange tools and gadgets. Idly twisting the handle on a vice on the end of one of the benches, watching the teethed plates traverse back and forth.
This became another blurred night in the noble's memory as she was bathed clothed fed and placed into bed. Light shined into the windows and unlike the previous night the noble was awake in the morning hours. Since she was stated for classes with the lady, garments like the one Lady Dyne wore appeared on her dresser. Fumbling a bit, the noble managed to dress in her night forest green blouse and black slacks, complete with pre-shinned boots.
Maid Ruby entered the room shortly after she the child managed to get dressed.
"Good day young master Dyne." Greeting her with a bow instead of the more casual address. it took the noble a moment to realized that she was now in fact heir to the greatest villain family in known history. Was that really something she was allowed to be?
"Good day, maid Ruby. Am I to understand that it had been made official that I am the new heir?" With a nod the maid responded politely.
"Yes milady, we were assigned to assist you as we do her as part of our official duties." Nodding to the noble the noble nodded back before asking.
"Do I have to sign anything or is there like a ceremony that I will have to preform?"
"The Lady will give young master a token as required by the laws of land that bears the insignia of the house." Maid Rose answered respectfully with her new title.
"Is there any way we can remain more casual? I am truly not that important."
"If the lady wishes us to do so we shall, however you should know you are one of these castles greatest treasures." Lady Tiffaney could feel the heat coming of her ears as they gained a red tint. The maid smiled with her large grin before directing the noble to follow her to the library for her lesson.
Library was a room that the noble never set foot in before. Her previous lessons were held in an office just beyond the basement where she had resided. Her siblings had proper studies equipped with boards and other teaching equipment.
Dyne's Library was a modern work of art. The entire space was filled with strange selves that were metallic statues that stood alone as artwork. Two tables ran the length of the main hall, and a large clear board was mounted in front of one. Behind the tables stood doors with strange labels. 'Synthesist' 'Aerospace mechanisms' 'Biology' 'Revival of human subjects' 'Mathematics'
In the head chair the lady had a few books in front of her and some parchments. Her hair was still bound into a wild ponytail at the end. Licorice red hair that had a different quality from Rubys which was much more strawberry in tone. The brilliant gold pupils were something that Tiffaney didn't know existed out of fiction.
"Sit, sit as I said there isn't a lot to for formality to stand on." They had a matched outfits today a light-colored blouse sans the bandages from the day before. It didn't take long for the noble to be seated.
"Whatever history you have been taught before, forget about it. Most of it is lies to start." Before the house master continued the noble stood up taken a step back where she caved her knees lightly placing her palms up.
"What in bloody hell are you doing?
"Don't all formal lessons start with a morning stance, followed by ten spanks to ensure the history is sunk in properly?" Gilded eyes pierced the child for several long moments before Lady Dyne stood picked and placed the noble into the chair and started the lesson with an eerie calm.
"No time, I have lots of items that came up just recently so we will have to abbreviate this lesson and ill have you return sooner than I anticipated. We will just start with the creation of the house of Dyne."
"Lady Dyne the first, was actual from a different noble house. Belonging to the Onyx Holm Empire, which is the same one we are in today. Scarlet Rosewood was her name. At fifteen her position in the empire collapsed and with the help of Lady Alganon of the Ducel house managed to escape into exile. It was a set up job, the empires crown prince wanted to monopolize Miss Rosewood. Her exile was an excuse to entrap the young lady who ultimately disappeared after fleeing."
"Unfortunately for that stupid bas-fool of an heir, she came out here and established her own castle. This castle, in which we sit right now. Unaware that Lady Rosewood possessed unique talents, she remained unheard of under a new established surname of Dyne. This and other factors created a delay of several years, allowing martial of considerable forces. Onyx Holm insists that it was victorious against the despicable Dyne family eradicating it into a shadow of the empire." Leaning back the lady glanced off into space for a moment before she continued.
"Truth is the two managed to reach an accord with a list of terms that are still being upheld now. Dyne accepts not existing, and the empire pretends it doesn't exist. Rhetoric from both sides was to embrace this status quo, furthered by how few know the truth of these lands, I, and this castle exist. Both sides maintain this to prevent the nightmares it causes."
She rummaged through the papers in front of her before handing one to the noble.
"I have arrangements to make so here's a paper with a few other details I wrote down this morning, you will be resuming regular classes tomorrow and will have quarters set up for this occasion. I have several arrangements to make."
Once again, an entire conversation passed without the noble speaking up. It was still nerve wracking to face the lady, and her guilt from the injury the master had sustained was still fresh in her mind. Unable to even politely part also weighed heavily.
Heir to a family that no one knows still exist, noble by definition, and filthy scum. That was who Tiffiany Oaken staff was. Her own heart knew that she was not worth a noble title, not worth family, just worth a quiet spot in the corner to hopefully breath each day. Just as the pointless waste she truly was.
Tiffaney Dyne was someone she could never become. Her only choice was that she had to earn the bed she was bestowed, the clothes she was handed and the food that sustained her.
On the notes given to her there were small drawings that looked familiar. Content wise it was almost identical to what she had been told, except it had a few more names of people. Tracing the small picture, she realized it was the small, short legged cat that had sat on her head earlier.
Why did the lady have so many pets? It made sense now that her office had so few decorations in favor of furniture for the cats. If she understood, the talents of Scarlet Rosewood were to make strange traps. Garrick's War, was the name of the conflict Lady Dyne had mention that took place three hundred and eighty years ago. Named after the hero who led the assault directly into the cursed lands.
Cursed lands were cursed, they couldn't produce magic and they were bad places to go to. Stewarded lands produced magic and had miraculous properties.
That was it for Tiffaney's knowledge of land types. Flipping through the other papers she came across a statement that she failed to understand.
"Other points to note, the land of Castle Dyne is consecrated…" What did that mean, the noble wondered? Why was this castle designed to reduce its population? How come people knew that it existed yet no one realized what was here? What was the real point to her become an heir?
Mystery and unknows finally won out, it appeared that the noble child would have to stay to find out.