In his room, Endyr put the three books he bought on the bed and struggled to decide which to read first. As he alternated between the three of them, Sia walked over and looked over his shoulder. She had just come out of the shower and was dressed in nothing but a towel, and she dripped water as she walked. Endyr shot her an annoyed look as she placed her hand on his shoulder, wetting it. "Couldn't you have dried yourself off first? And you should changed while you're at it, otherwise you might get a cold just before the opening ceremony" Endyr quipped.
"In a second" Sia dismissed his worries with a wave of her hand before gazing at the three books. "I don't think you should be reading these anyway. Jace told us to focus of the books from the Academy, not fairy tales like these." Endyr let out a scoff as he picked up the "Myth of Creation" book and opened the first page. "Unlike you, I can read these three books and have room for the others" he boasted, mixing a barb in his words. Sia scowled and thumped him on the head with her fist. "Is that anyway to speak toy your older sister?" she growled exaggeratedly, before failing to keep up the act and laughing.
Endyr smirked, removing her hand from his shoulder and sitting down on the bed. He lowered his gaze and began to read the first page. Before he could take in any words however, Sia interrupted him. "Hey Altair...do you think I'm pretty?" she asked timidly. Endyr raised an eyebrow as he looked over at her, confused as from where this question came from. Sia was sitting on her own bed, having pulled a hand mirror from God-knows-where in the few seconds he looked away. She was checking out her own reflection, and doubt was visible on her face. She looked over at him, expecting an answer.
Endyr squinted as she surveyed his sister before answering. Sia was twelve approaching thirteen, and puberty had come later than most girls for her. [A/N: Girls generally begin puberty at 11, while boys generally start at 13] She had yet to develop breasts, and she still had a certain amount of baby fat on her face. Despite this, her skin was crystal clean and she was also quite symmetrical in bone structure. Most would deem her "cute" or "doll-like" rather than outright beautiful, and only freaks with bizarre fetishes would feel a sense of lust towards her. But with someone like Raphaniel as a mother, Sia would undoubtedly grow into a shimmering jewel in the future. From what Endyr had seen in fact, the presence of Mana had a strange effect of raising the general beauty levels of Ascenders. That was why the [Charm] Stat existed after all. Speaking of which...
"Hey Sia, what's your Charm?" Endyr asked. Sia squinted her eyes in thought "I checked my Stats in private with Mom before we left, and I think it was B or there about. Why, what was yours?". Endyr let out a sigh as he answered "Mine was B-, so it's less than yours. But to answer your previous question: yes, I think you are very pretty. Compared to most, you shine like an exotic jewel. None I have met can compare to you, apart from Mother" Endyr flattered her, turning back to the book in his lap. "Why did you ask anyway?".
Sia twirled her long hair with her finger as she re-angled her mirror "No real reason, Mother just said a lot of boys would likely try and get close to me. She said marriages are built in times likes these, especially since House Atrazark needs an alliance to a powerful House. She told me a suitor might pop up in the Academy."
*Slam!*
Sia looked up in surprise at the noise, only to spot Endyr sitting still on his bed. The book, which had just been open, was closed and her brother stared blankly at her. "Mother proposed a marriage?" he asked evenly. Sia nodded and averted her eyes, sighing softly "She said the House needs to be put first always, and the duty often falls on the women because society places more importance on bloodline through them than men. According to Mother, even she was about to be put in a marriage of convivence before meeting Father."
Endyr said nothing, merely taking in her words, but deep within his eyes an ominous hue was flickering. "But what if the man is horrible, or cruel to you? I don't imagine Mother would let that stand by" he half-asked, half-stated. Sia bit her lower lip in frustration before lying back on her bed "Mother promised she would be personally involved every step of the way, and that 'she would be dammed if I married a bastard'" Sia raised her fingers in air-quotes here, "but she also said there was a possibility of the House Elders intervening and forcing a marriage anyway. For Nobles, especially women...choice is viewed as a luxury, the more so the higher your peerage."
The hue within Endyr's eyes strengthened, and he pressed his lips together strongly "Well, don't worry about it sister. If anyone mistreats you, I will just kill them" he promised airily. Sia widened her eyes at his words, before breaking out in a fit of giggles "Well, aren't you a knight in shining armour!" she proclaimed. "But you should probably save those lines for your lady friends." Endyr said nothing in return and instead changed the topic "By the way...you still haven't changed sister" he snidely reminded her. Sia looked down, realizing she was still in her towel and blushed a tad bit. "Right, look away then" she snapped.
Endyr turned over onto his side, facing the wall as Sia got changed. He was unable to stop himself from passing one last taunt however "With habits like yours, i doubt you would find a man anyway, so a toxic marriage is out of the question" he phrased his point like it was a positive thing, having an innate talent for snarkiness. Sia bristled and had to resist the urge to hit him again "Just because I'm apprehensive about the prospect of marriage doesn't mean I want to be a spinster!" she growled. Endyr rolled his eyes at her outburst, though Sia of course couldn't see it.
Once he deemed Sia was sufficiently dressed, he rolled back over and posed a question "Apart from you, what does Mother plan to do with me? As the second child, my worth is almost entirely measured by who I can marriage, while at least you will retain some authority as the Head of House Atrazark." Sia stood up and stretched, walking around the room and looking out the window, surveying the Academy City in all its nightly glory. While doing so, she answered absentmindedly "You're right, as the second son, your main job is improving external relations with House Atrazark through marriage. But unlike me, you will be more distant and likely move to the territory of your spouse and start a family there. In that regard, your duties are less heavy than mine but still important."
Sia turned to look at her brother, sadness visible in her radiant amethyst eyes "If things get bad enough, you may even have to move across the entire Continent. Being the second-born has more consequences than you might think: you are more of a "tool" than a "person". It ranges from House to House, but most second-borns are viewed as spares or assets to expand power. Since the first-born child leads the House itself, the younger children are used to enter new fields. For instance, the House Elders may decided for you to enter the technological or Church section of the Empire, where House Atrazark has only a minimal presence. For them, you are an opportunity to establish new footholds in politics."
Sia did not mention it, but the first-born was prioritised so much for a practical reason too: the first-born child of two Magi inherits more power and traits than any children born after. If Endyr had not reincarnated in this body, then "Altair" would have had an inferior Bloodline than Sia's. Of course, his would have still bene strong, but noticeable lesser than his sibling's. Because of this, Nobles protected their first-borns zealously, as they were an irreplaceable asset that could not be recreated. A sad way to view one's child, but the commonly adopted one nonetheless.
"But such a future for both of us is still far away. Our education at Sky Cross will least six years, and Mother stated she wont allow any engagement before it ends, even if the Elders disagree. So let's forget about such things for now and just enjoy our present life. After all, the future will always be there, but the present only exists for a short while in comparison" Sia reasoned with a smile, banishing her sadness and uncertainty. Endyr gazed at her, contentness filling his body at the sight. With a smile, he reached for the book he had discarded and once again opened the first page. As he looked down, he read the first words aloud.
"The Myth of Creation, Chapter 1: The Original Creator"