Shackled Exalted

Charlotte

While everyone else in their study group had retreated for the night, Charlotte found herself attending a social event held by one of the noble houses within Azure City.

The banquet hall was packed. Charlotte took a seat at a table by the outskirts of the venue. She sat with her back straight and her hands carefully folded on her lap. Her eyes were gentle yet alert. Her lips curved into a slight smile—not too large, not too small, just enough to give off the impression of a young lady who was dignified and approachable.

She observed the crowd while indulging in the music being played by the hired orchestra. The soft, melodic jazz was soothing—blending easily into the background as conversations unfolded between the attendees.

This was the first of many socials that she would have to attend for the duration of her stay at the Academy. Or at the very least, until she found a compatible suitor. One that was ideally from a large noble house with enough wealth and influence to shield her family from the rising ambitions of those in the Rosales province.

Pragmatically, it made sense. House Braun was considered a backwater noble compared to their peers within the region. Despite possessing acres of arable land that made it the envy of their neighbors, House Braun stayed small. Their wealth remained meager and the Exalted under their retinue were old and unremarkable. A large part of the cause was due to her parents. Charlotte didn't consider her parents incompetent. Rather, they simply lacked ambition and were content to live a peaceful and comfortable life on the countryside.

That mindset would have been fine a decade ago.

But times were changing. Ardair was growing increasingly unstable. The new generation of up-and-coming elites were unsatisfied with the status quo and sought to realize their ambitions with their massive wealth. The number of Exalted in the kingdom seemed to rise everyday, granting plenty of chances for opportunistic factions to build their influence. The emergence of Vigil only catalyzed that trend.

In the process, House Braun was quickly finding themselves left behind. Converting the rich lands under their possession into wealth required time and skills. Both of which they didn't have while their rich neighbors continued to grow more powerful with every passing day. In desperation, House Braun turned to only immediate asset that they had that would allow them to hold onto their dwindling power—Charlotte.

It was my parent's foolishness to rest on their laurels that brought us here. And yet, it's me who would have to pay the price.

She bit onto the inside of her gums. The bitter thought nearly broke her composure. The mask of a prim noblewoman that she had cultivated through years of training almost slipped. Frustrated, she reached for the glass of iced beverage on the table. She took a small sip. The frigid taste poured down her throat as she allowed it to cool her head.

It was then that she was approached by one of the first suitors of the night.

It was a young man in his early twenties, likely no more than five years her senior. He had a short gaudy frame adorned by a lavish fur suit lined with gold threading. Gemstones of vivid colors decorated his collars, gleaming under the lustrous chandelier lights as he moved.

While his outfit was beautiful, the same couldn't be said about his appearance. The man had a large bulbous nose. His hairline had already begun to recede, showing visible signs of balding. His head was small, yet his face was round and chubby in all the wrong places. Freckles lined his cheeks, sticking out like nasty dots against his pasty white skin that had been caked under excessive layers of powder.

Charlotte forced herself to smile.

"My greetings, Lady Charlotte von Braun. My name is Joachim von Welf."

Even the sound of his voice was shrill. The intonation in each of his words carried an unfounded arrogance that was ear-grating.

"A pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Sir Joachim." Charlotte naturally lowered her head out of respect, adhering to the lessons of her etiquette training. "To what do I owe the honor?"

Joachim let out a pleased grunt, apparently satisfied with her manners.

"It would seem to me that you do not yet have a partner for this occasion. Would you care to accompany me for the upcoming dance?" Joachim asked, extending a hand.

"Oh, perhaps there's been a misunderstanding. My partner is right here."

She gestured to her left. Kai was sitting across from her, relaxed while casually sipping on a glass of wine. He was dressed in a typical flamboyant outfit befitting of the occasion. Despite being a commoner, he was surprisingly at ease, looking rather comfortable in this atmosphere amidst a cabal of nobles and elites.

"…Surely, you jest." Joachim narrowed his eyes as if noticing Kai for the first time. "You would claim a Gharian servant to be your dance partner for the evening?"

Charlotte fought the urge to sneer. It took every ounce of effort to maintain her dignified mask.

"Oh, but he's not a servant. He's a fellow classmate of mine at the Academy that I've taken the liberty of inviting. Sir Joachim, this is Kai Kiyeng. He's a quarterfinalist of this year's Clash of Dawn."

"…Is that so?" Joachim shot Kai a glare. His attitude was noticeably more hostile as he turned to leave. "A word of advice, Lady Charlotte. But do consider who you spend your time with. And choose them wisely. As a lady of House Braun, your careless actions do reflect poorly on your beloved parents."

Charlotte watched as Joachim stomped away. She didn't miss the countless pairs of eyes that were also observing their exchange in the background. Evidently, Joachim wasn't the only one who was interested in her this evening. Seeing him leave alone seemed to have confirmed everyone's suspicions about Kai.

Charlotte shot Kai a sidelong glance. Despite the rude comments from Joachim, Kai appeared unfazed, continuing to indulge in the wine in hand.

You would think that he owned this place with how relaxed he is.

The melodic jazz in the background suddenly intensified into a more upbeat waltz. Couples began to fill the dance section of the venue.

Charlotte raised her hand, beckoning towards Kai.

Taking the hint, Kai rose from his seat. With a natural elegance, he bowed with the flair of a gentleman as he gently took Charlotte's hand.

"May I have this dance, Lady Charlotte?"

Charlotte felt her heart skip a beat. Just where did he learn all of this? Kai's mannerisms were too well-practiced and refined to be something that he picked up on a whim.

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"It would be my pleasure, my dearest partner," she replied, smiling with delight.

Charlotte allowed herself to be led to the ballroom. Effortlessly weaving through the crowd, they found themselves in an open space near the center of the floor.

To her surprise, Kai got into the classic stance for a waltz. She obliged, half-expecting that she would have to take the lead due to Kai's presumed inexperience. He was a commoner after all. She doubted that he would have had many opportunities to practice an activity done by the upper class, much less a dance that required a partner. Instead, Charlotte found herself guided through the steps in perfect harmony with the music.

"…Where did you learn all this?" she asked, slightly flabbergasted by his skill.

Kai guided her through a twirl, somehow expertly making sure that she would not lose her balance as she completed the spin and returned to her original position.

"It's not that difficult. Dance is in the blood of all Gharians. Culturally, we're taught from a young age how to listen to the music and move in rhythm."

"Do Gharians also have something similar to the waltz?"

"Not really. Our idea of social dancing is more communal than an intimate activity between a man and a woman. Even so, the waltz isn't exactly a difficult dance to learn. The steps are comedically simple compared to traditional Gharian dances." Kai suddenly broke into his signature smirk. "I suppose it's logical, since they need something easy that even these greasy, indolent nobles are able to do."

He said the last part quietly, just loud enough for her ears. Charlotte almost broke out into laughter. It took a timely twirl for her to compose herself amidst all of the nobles around them. By now, Kai's presence on the dance floor was finally being recognized. Charlotte could feel numerous probing eyes scrutinizing their every move.

"Your parents have no idea that you invited me, did they?" Kai asked.

"Not at all," Charlotte admitted with a conspiratorial grin, "They were hoping that I bring home a rich and powerful suitor to save our house from ruin. Instead, I'm eloping with my handsome Gharian classmate."

"I see." Kai's eyes turned solemn. "Then, do you actually feel anything for me?"

Charlotte was about to respond with something silly until she caught the earnestness in Kai's gaze. He was serious. There was not a semblance of frivolousness or hidden agenda in his words.

I suppose I should answer him honestly. After all, she was the one who dragged him into her little rebellion. Even if he had the reputation of a playboy, it felt wrong to mislead him.

"While my main intentions are selfish, I would be lying if I said I wasn't entirely interested in you. I'm interested in your culture. Your background. And, I suppose, your face," she said with a sheepish smile, "But it's a bit early to describe what I feel right now as anything more than curiosity."

"Then, am I safe to assume that you're just using me for your own goals?"

"Yes, I suppose that's an accurate assessment."

Kai's eyes shone with a dastardly glint.

"Great. Because I was planning to do the same," he revealed as the music drew to a crescendo.

Charlotte spun, finding herself leaning snugly against Kai's arms as their waltz came to a climatic end. Her heart thundered as she stared at her partner. Kai was smiling. Not a single bead of sweat stained his unblemished face.

"Let's use each other for our own purposes, Charlotte."

Kai

Kai never knew the face of his father.

From the earliest moments in his memory, it had always been him and his mother. Alone. Together. In a small, run-down abode on the outskirts of the slums.

"Kai, it's time for breakfast!"

Her mother's bubbly voice would ring across the tiny room at daybreak to the accompaniment of the morning lark's songs. Kai would reluctantly pry his eyes open and drag himself off the bed. No matter how tired he was, he'd always make sure to be there on time. Morning was one of the few moments in the day where he would get to see her.

Raising a kid as a single mother in Ardair was a grueling task. Kai's mother worked two jobs—one as a waitress in a tavern and the other as a lady of the night. Despite her exhausting workload, his mother never seemed to waver. No matter the circumstance, she always had a bright smile on her face whenever she returned home.

It was only when Kai got curious about his father did her smiles show cracks. Whenever Kai asked about him, his mother would always fall silent. The brilliant glint in her eyes would grow distant. Her infectious sun-like energy would disappear as if it was all a façade. The change scared him, and so Kai seldom asked about him once he was old enough to understand. It was obviously an unpleasant memory for his mother, and the last thing he wanted to burden her further.

While his mother was gone at work, Kai spent most of his time at a nearby church. The building was old and decrepit. The sole clergy there was an elderly priest who worshipped the Goddess Endora. Religion as a whole was dying in Ardair with the proliferation of the Exalted. While others might have seen the old priest as a relic of the past, for Kai, the elder was his mentor. From him, Kai learned how to read and write. And later, when he awakened his Gift, the old priest was the one who helped him control his powers.

On the rare days where his mother wasn't working, Kai would find himself subjected to one of her many lessons.

"Important schooling," she would call it, but most of the lessons involved strange, miscellaneous tasks like how to hold a fork and knife properly, how to dress for a formal gathering, or how to speak in the presence of an aristocrat. The lessons seemed pointless at the time given their living situation, but Kai never complained. He followed his mother's lessons diligently. It was clear to him that his mother had his best intentions in mind, and so, he was content to receive her love on the rare days that she was home.

Over time, however, his mother began to work less and less. Kai didn't think much of it initially, happy to get to spend more time with her.

Until one day, he found her coughing blood in the middle of the night.

Hunched over on the floor, illuminated only by the moonlight streaking into the room, his mother was holding onto her chest. Blood drenched her hands and mouth. A harrowing sight. She was heaving, each raspy breath followed by a hacking cough that sent more blood onto the floor. Horrified, Kai immediately sought for the old priest's help.

As her condition stabilized, she was diagnosed with an illness common to those who worked as a lady of the night. The disease had no natural cure—only expensive remedies that could alleviate the symptoms and lessen her mother's suffering.

Bit by bit, Kai watched as the disease stole away her mother's vitality.

***

As the music for the waltz faded, Kai led Charlotte back to their seat. His mannerisms and composure were the perfect picture of a gentleman. Just like how his mother had taught him all those years ago in their tiny abode.

"Are you satisfied now that you've made your little rebellion known to the world?"

"Yes, more than satisfied," Charlotte replied sheepishly. Kai didn't miss how she was suddenly avoiding his gaze.

"Then it's your turn to fulfill my end of the bargain," he said, leaning close to whisper in her ears, "I'm looking for someone from House Nacht. Did you see anyone tonight from that family?"

Charlotte scanned the crowd at his question. Soon, she narrowed her eyes at a particular section of the venue.

"There, the tall man by the fountain holding a glass of wine. That's Theo, one of House Nacht's Exalted. The gray-haired gentleman beside him is Sir Isen, the current head of House Nacht."

"Thank you."

Kai immediately rose from his seat.

"Wait, what are you—"

"Don't worry, I'm not going to make a fuss," he said as he made his way over to the man, "But feel free to accompany me if you wish."

As Kai got closer, Isen's face came into view. The resemblance was uncanny. He could spot their similarities with astounding clarity.

So, this is the face that my mother abhors.

He sneered at the bitter memory. As Kai matured and his mother's disease got worse, she would start to hallucinate and dissociate more frequently. On the rare occasion, she would mistaken Kai for his wretched father. The first time it happened, Kai was horrified as her mother screamed and groveled before his feet, begging to be forgiven. The visceral fear and desperation in her eyes were something that he never wanted to see again.

Theo was the first to take notice of his arrival. The tall Exalted narrowed his eyes in a glare, ready to pounce as if he was a threat. Kai ignored him. The blatant hostility against Gharians from the elite class was not something he was a stranger to.

To his surprise, Isen waved Theo down. The head of House Nacht kept a friendly demeanor, even if it was likely to be a polite façade.

"Lady Charlotte and her partner, to what do I owe the honor?" Isen asked.

If he was uneasily at the sight of Kai, he did well to hide it. The nobleman greeted them without a hint of discomfort.

Kai kneeled and lowered his head in reverence. "Sir Isen, my name is Kai Kiyeng. Although we have not been acquainted, I would nonetheless like to make a humble request."

Isen raised an eye. The edge of his mouth curved upward with curiosity. "Be my guest. But I make no promises."

"I would like an audience with Sir Hinz of House Nacht," Kai said as he raised his head, "He's my father."