Hohenfels

Arne studied Katharina from the corner of his eye. Her aura radiated smug satisfaction after doing God-knows-what to the poor girls who had been clumsily tailing them ever since they left Hohenfels Hall. A display of immense skill that made him both happy to have allied with her and worried about what else she might have up her sleeve.

A spike of aura from a neighboring table reminded him that the mess hall was, while less visited than usual, still full of people who were paying very close attention to his every move. The amulet bore the brunt of it, but his senses still felt a little strained from earlier.

He stabbed his gargantuan slab of roasted pork with a little too much force, splattering the tablecloth with red wine sauce. A servant hurried to his side, cleaned up the mess and immediately retreated again.

Friedrich shot him a questioning look across the table, unable to speak due to his enthusiastic consumption of his own meal.

“It’s been a while since I used so much magic at once,” Arne shrugged. It was as good an excuse as any.

His cousin shrugged back and turned his attention back to his roast.

Arne had to admit: The food was good. So good that it had managed to awaken his appetite despite his miserable mood. It also helped him think, and a plan slowly blossomed in his mind. He was sure that Katharina would find a way to talk him out of it, so he decided to keep the details to himself.

Not that he could discuss it with her anyway, given the presence of Friedrich and ‘Linde’, who formally introduced herself as Sieglinde von Elmstedt, the daughter of a Count from Marbach. His cousin had insisted on tagging along as a bodyguard, and Arne granted him his request to bring Sieglinde along lest the meal become rather awkward for him.

Katharina was not particularly enthused by the arrangement, though Arne could only tell from the way her aura took on a tinge of annoyance whenever Friedrich’s boisterous mannerisms caused his admirer to exaggeratedly swoon over him.

The more he ate, the more he realized just how much magic he had used – the hunger just didn’t end. It took him well over two hours to finish the meal, at which point the hall had filled up with students, and Arne was more than happy to finally leave.

The sun was already setting when they stepped outside, throwing long shadows all over the plaza. The torches lining the flowerbeds had been lit, giving the area a festive atmosphere despite nothing of note going on except for a few dozen young aristocrats animatedly socializing in small groups.

While they were weaving through groups with sufficient distance to not get forced into unwanted conversation, a wave of excited murmurs went through the plaza, and soon after they heard the clatter of hooves on the paved ground.

A convoy of elegant travel coaches drove along the designated pathways. They bore the banner of the House of Tannburg, making it abundantly obvious just who the passengers were.

“So, the Schwarzwald Princess has finally deigned to join us,” Arne mused. “What’s her name again?”

“Princess Charlotte,” Katharina supplied. “I’m surprised she came here at all.” Worry. Uncertainty. Calculation.

“Why is that?”

She looked up in surprise. “You didn’t hear? She apparently has some sort of malaise that keeps her confined to Castle Tannburg.”

“Oh. Now that you say it, my mother may have mentioned something like that,” he replied sheepishly. “You’re related to her, right? Do you think you can arrange a meeting for me?”

Katharina hesitated. “I will have to go greet her anyway, which is as good of an excuse as any. But…” Uneasiness.

“Alright, let’s talk about it later,” he allowed.

Friedrich and Sieglinde, who had hovered some distance away, moved closer as a crowd began to form. Arne gestured for them to follow, and decided on a small detour to avoid a headache.

Their new path led them past the colosseum. Its many intricate arcs made for a fascinating sight in the moonlight. Arne and Katharina had already passed it, when a panicked yelp from behind made them flinch.

Sieglinde was clutching Friedrich’s Arm, staring towards the entrance of the colosseum as if she had seen a ghost. When Arne followed her gaze, he saw a not-quite-familiar young man heading down the stairs in the darkness. Katharina seemed to recognize his anachronistic style of dress as well and gently poked his arm.

“That’s the first time I’ve seen him since that evening,” she whispered. Curiosity.

“Same here.” ‘Not that I tried particularly hard to find him.’

“I wonder what he was doing in there.”

“Want to go ask?”

“I’d rather not. He might have forgotten about us by now, and I’d prefer not to remind him.”

Instead, they looked on from a distance as Sieglinde and the pale young man verbosely apologized to each other under Friedrich’s watchful gaze.

When they finally finished, Arne waited for the pair to catch up. “Who was that?”

Friedrich shrugged. “Peter von… Ko… Uh.”

“Peter von Kositz, Your Highness,” Sieglinde offered.

Arne shot Katharina a look. Her aura and expression told him that she too had no idea where Kositz was located. It sounded vaguely South-Eastern, so perhaps Matthias had heard about it. ‘Oh well, a question for another day.’

Before he dropped Katharina off at her dorm, he pulled her aside.

“I’ll stop by Sonnenfeld Hall in an hour or two. Could I trouble you to announce my visit?”

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Of course, I can do that. But is it really a good idea to negotiate with Prince Ludwig already?” Confusion. Mild dread.

“Oh, I won’t be talking to him,” Arne grinned. “Please notify Leonhardt instead.”

“I– what? Why? And isn’t he still injured? Wouldn’t it be better to–”

“Trust me. It’s necessary,” he promised.

Katharina could not really argue against that given their difference in status, and her frustration and anxiety rose. But then, a sudden spike of understanding flashed through her aura, washing it all away. ‘What a scary mind.’

“Understood,” she smiled. Anticipation.

She entered the ostentatious building with a spring in her step, and the remainder of their small group headed for Hohenfels Hall.

After Friedrich bade Sieglinde goodbye, Arne took a deep breath and addressed him.

“Lieutenant.”

Friedrich immediately snapped to attention. “Yes, Captain?”

“Here, I’m the Prince. Keep that in mind.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” he saluted.

“Who are the most reliable and competent fighters from our dorm?”

“Karl von Wehrfurt, Ferdinand von–”

“Houses only.”

“Wehrfurt, Soltach, Emmerfeld, Eschbrunn, Renntal,” he listed. “And the brothers Ottendorf.”

That was excellent. All but two of these territories were baronies in Hohenfels. Renntal was part of Rotenbach, so it qualified. Only Eschbrunn belonged to Marbach.

“Forget about Eschbrunn. Get yourself and the rest armed and in full dress uniform within the hour.”

“Understood, Your Highness,” Friedrich saluted and hurried off, despite the confusion permeating his aura.

With a sigh, Arne entered his suite and began combing through his wardrobe for something impressive to wear. In the end, he settled on his own uniform, adding an ornate sash that denoted him as a scion of a sovereign House. Once dressed, he sat down at his desk, mentally preparing himself for the dreadful experience to come.

Just half an hour later and way too soon for his nerves, there was a knock on his door.

Out in the corridor, Friedrich stood at attention, the very picture of an Eastern soldier. Behind him, a neat line of six young men saluted respectfully, radiating bewilderment and anticipation. He recognized most of them from the sparring session a few days ago.

They wore fine sabers and uniforms, though he could see that not all of them fit perfectly. ‘Doesn’t matter for now, but we’ll have to change that later.’

Arne let a sliver of his magic free, lending the moment the appropriate gravity.

“I will make you an offer. You are free to decline. There will be no consequences if you do. Understood?”

“Yes, Your Highness!” Their voices echoed through the hallway.

“If you wish to serve in my provisional House Guard, step forward.”

A wave of shock went through their auras, only to be replaced by excitement.

In unison, they took a step forward. Arne smiled.

“Very well. Friedrich will act as Captain of the Guard. Follow his orders, as long as they do not conflict with mine.”

They saluted again, and so did Friedrich. He had a wide grin on his face, and his aura exuded pride and happiness. ‘Perhaps some responsibilities will help him get his act together.’

“I will now conduct a formal visit to Sonnenfeld Hall. The Guard will escort me. While I am in talks with Lord Leonhardt von Wessen, you will ensure my safety by securing the entrance to the room.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

“And do your best to look menacing.”

Their enthusiastic grins told him that he had picked the right men for the job.