Tenebris Renasci: A World of Magic and Gunpowder

Elise sat Alexander down between his mother and Marcus.

As he settled in, the conversation drifted from Marcus to himself. Camilla asked him several questions involving his training and hobbies.

Alexander answered best he could, but his answers seemed to draw more questions and attention from Camilla. Eventually, everyone was asking their questions, from one person to the next.

"So what's your favorite color?" Camilla asked.

"Royal purple, but I'm also a sucker for black," Alexander answered.

"Do you want to be head pathfinder when you grow up?" Marcus asked.

"No, you've seen my training, I just hope to know enough…" Alexander joked.

Besides I have two older brothers, and surely one of them can take my father's place as head pathfinder.

"Do you love me, Alex?" His mother asked.

Alexander looked up to his mother and smiled, "the answer to that is as obvious as the sun rises." He said with a wink.

His mother giggled as she leaned over to kiss his forehead. As her soft lips pressed against his forehead, a chuckle escaped his lips. This was rather fun to him.

"Oh Alex, do you love me?" His second mother Olivia asked, tilting her head as a glint of excitement twinkled in her eyes. 

Alexander leaned forward to get a better look at her. He then pulled back his lips as his expression grew perplexed. Alexander would be hard-pressed to find something he loved about his father's first wife, especially since he barely saw her.

But she was still his mother, so he'd lie to make her feel better. "My love for you is so vast, that If the king himself offered me all the riches in the world in exchange for you," Alexander smirked, "I'd tell him that I already have the greatest treasure of all, you."

Olivia blushed as she raised a hand to her mouth, giggling to herself as she leaned back in her seat. 

Camilla then perked up. "Do me next, Lord Alexander!" She said excitedly, leaning forward as her smile widened from pointed ear to pointed ear.

Alexander turned to Camilla with a grin. "Your beauty," he began with dramatic flair, "matches that of a goddess." He then chuckled as he raised a hand to the air, "I should call the authorities to report a theft…"

He winked at Camilla as he lowered his hand towards her. "… for you have stolen my heart."

Camilla's cheek turned a soft pink as she lowered in her seat. "A tongue of silver and a heart of gold Lord Alexander, a dangerous combination for any woman you come across."

"If any woman were to fall for such theatrics, I would question their sanity." Louise chimed in, her tone haughty and expression indifferent.

Alexander shifted his gaze to Louise, who stared back at him in contempt. 

Is she just a naturally born party pooper?

Alexander sighed as he lowered his gaze. "I truly regret what I am about to do." he said softly, "but you left me no choice."

Alexander began mewing, sucking in his cheeks as he pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth. He then slowly looked up to Louise, raising an eyebrow as he did so. 

Louise's eyes widened as she studied Alexander's face, her expression was slightly disturbed. "What in the goddess name did you do to your face?" she asked. "You look…"

Godlike?

"... atrocious."

oh…

Everyone around the table burst into soft chuckles and laughed as Alexander's expression fell.

However, despite that one hiccup, dinner continued with a light and lively atmosphere, as the conversation continued to flow from topic to topic with ease. 

As dinner came to a close, Alexander found himself quietly thinking about his future plans for tomorrow. There was training to be done, learning to continue and exploration to be done.

Alexander grew exhausted just thinking about it, his eyelids growing heavier as a yawn escaped his lips. His mother noticed and wrapped an arm around his head, bringing him closer to her side. "It's time for bed darling," she whispered softly. 

Alexander nodded, before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

— — —

I'm the morning Alexander awoke to find himself in bed. 

He was a little confused as to how he got there, but in the end, he chopped it up to either Elise or his mother who put him in bed. 

Sliding out of bed, Alexander quickly got dressed in a shirt and pants. He then made his way out of his room and down the corridor. 

As he walked, he could hear faint sounds of arguing, It was coming from the guest wing of the mansion. 

"I told you before and I'll say it again, you are going home, I'm not bringing you to the front!" 

"You do not own me, I have the capacity to make my own decisions and it is my choice to come along."

"Louise, what do you not understand, I'm going to a battlefield, do you know what that means?"

There wasn't a response.

"Fine, I'll tell you what it means," there was a heavy sigh. "Bodies pilled up and dismembered, blood and mud everywhere, and a stench that would burn the hairs in your nose." 

There was a pause. 

"Artillery, sirens, screaming will be all that you hear, from sun up to sun down. Now we both know the fathers would go to any lengths to protect you, but not even he can shield you from the horrors on the front, so now I ask you again sister… Do you have your bags packed for your trip back home?"

"…" silence.

Alexander had quietly made his way towards the door in which the conversation was being held behind. His long pointed ear pressed against the wooden door. 

"Louise… don't cry please, you know I can't…"

"It's not fair I say!" Louise said with the stomp of her foot, her voice trembling slightly. "You are my sister are you not?!" She shouted, her voice full of emotion. "First father and now you, who is next, mother?!?"

"Louise…"

"No, you will let me speak!"

Camilla fell silent, with only the sounds of Louise's heavy breathing filling the tense silence that had fallen over the room.

"You say war is unpleasant as if I don't understand that," Louise said in a low and angered tone. "I see how mother worries for father when he leaves, how she worried for you when we left…"

"… I know it must be a terrible thing, but you do not own me Camilla, You think because I am a child that war should frighten me, but there is something you do not understand sister."

"I am not frightened by war Camilla, for I am Louise du Nova, second heir to the Nova house and daughter of lord Napoleon, this is fact, I will not hide nor falter!"

Holy shit, Louise is fucking baller!

Alexander could feel himself being motivated for, the power in her words riled him to the very core.

But unlike Louise, Alexander wasn't really eager to face the dangers of war. 

He considered going in to help Camilla convince her sister of how troubling what she was asking for was, but he would be hard-pressed to find a way to explain why he was listening in on their conversation in the first place.

Not to mention he was caught up in the moment, enjoining the tea being poured before him. 

Unfortunately for him, he wasn't the only person listening in. He could feel the pressure of someone closely standing behind him. Warm breath breathing down his neck as someone pressed against his back.

What the hell?

Alexander slowly turned around to see Marcus hunched over him, his ear pressed against the door same as Alexander's.

Alexander opened his mouth to tell Marcus off, but his mouth was quickly covered by Marcus' hand. 

"Shhh." He whispered softly. "They'll hear you." He mouthed. 

Alexander narrowed his eyes as he looked back to Marcus. He didn't give a damn if they heard him, what the hell was Marcus so close, and how come he didn't hear him!

He reached his hand to Marcus', and attempted to rip it from his face. His muffled curse words flew a mile a minute. Marcus hurriedly wrapped his other hand around Alexander's stomach and hunched him over. 

"Stop, you'll get us caught," Marcus whispered in Alexander's ear. His breath was hot and close, tickling Alexander's ear as it twitched. 

Alexander's eyes widened.

And for a moment, a brief pause in the world around both Alexander and Marcus.

Alexander tensed up, his heart racing as his cheeks grew hot.

Alexander didn't know if it was the embarrassment or just a coincidence, but he felt a warm sensation in his chest.

no… No… NO!

Alexander was not about to let whatever was happening continue. He began struggling free from Marcus' grasp with a vigorous effort. He kicked, squirmed, and shouted all in an attempt to escape Marcus.

Marcus struggled hard to keep control of Alexander, even though he was older by three years and had a height advantage, he couldn't overpower him.

"Alex stop, you'll get us in trouble," Marcus whispered in a panicked voice, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he nervously glanced at the door.

Realizing his options were limited, Marcus quickly pushed Alexander forward and bolted as fast as he could for the stairs. 

Alexander, finally being released from Marcus's grip, screamed. "I don't like boys!!" He shouted as he crashed to the floor.

He landed with a hard impact, The thud alerting the Nova sisters of his presence.

Their room door quickly swung open, revealing Camilla with a panicked expression and dried tears on her cheeks. "Lord Alexander, what happened?"

Alexander looked back, a startled expression on his face as he scrambled to his feet. He brushed his wrinkled and roughed clothes as he tried to regain his composure. "Uhm…" he nervously looked around for Marcus, but he was long gone. "I-I tripped while doing my morning jog around the mansion." He explained, nervously chuckling.

Camilla narrowed her eyes briefly, before closing them completely and taking a deep breath. "I see, well it's good to see you're training so early." She said while opening her eyes. "But could you avoid approaching this room please, I'm talking with my sister."

Alexander hurriedly nodded as he began backing away. "Of course, in fact, I think I'll skip it all together." He said with a forced smile, "And hey, I didn't hear anything you guys were saying either. But just between us, Louise can stay here if she doesn't wanna go home haha."

Camilla's eyes widened as she tensed up. "I thought you said you didn't hear anything…" she asked skeptically.

"I'll take that arrangement," Louise said from behind Camilla. Walking beside her with puffy yet determined eyes. Her stance is stoic and her tone holds a hint of superiority. 

Camilla looked down at her sister with a frown. "No, we've imposed on the Daname family long enough."

She then sighed, "Besides, this is too close to the front for my comfort." She mumbled to herself.

Alexander was in too much of a panic to bother listening. He hated how awkward of a situation he was in. 

"Then leave Antoinette here with me, if you don't have faith in the Daname pathfinders then surely you have faith in our own."

Camilla opened her mouth to respond, but no words escaped her mouth. Her face scrunched with perplexing thoughts as she lowered her gaze. 

She then sighed. "Fine, but we have to ask Lady Erica and Lady Olivia, if they agree, then you can stay."

Louise nodded. "I accept these terms."

The sisters then looked towards Alexander, who had been quietly approaching the stairs the entire time they talked. He had reached the first step.

Don't be suspicious, don't be suspicious, uh, don't be suspicious…

"Alexander," Camilla said in a stern yet calm tone.