CH 4~ Family Matters

The high-pitched snarking could be heard from the entryway as the front door opened and continued as they sat eating until Azure suddenly stood, nearly knocking her chair off its legs and motioned to the Servant standing in the Atrium.

“Azure! How could you not tell your poor old mother you were home? I had to hear through the grapevine! I am absolutely appalled at the degradation of your manners; it seems that a couple of years off in that — “

Francine hadn’t been formally introduced to them all, as she was unconscious when she was brought in, and the work started so suddenly, but it seemed like this servant must be the… butler; no, this was a woman, so the buttress! Francine sniggered in her head but quickly snapped out of it as the buttress boomed out,

“Master and Mistress Arsenault, arriving.”

That only caused “Mistress Arsenault” to quiet long enough to be announced before resuming her tirade.

“-- Wretched hole has turned you to a savage and siphoned away the love you had for your dear mother. Why, I should think you haven’t any affection for me at all!”

Most got up from dinner being served to meet the arriving guests, everyone piling up in the Atrium garden. Her mother crowing and fishing for compliments and hugs? But Azure was gripping her father in a rocking bear hug.

“HA HA, it IS good to see you, my girl! I’m glad to see the rumors of this unpleasantness have been gravely exaggerated. It’s simply some thugs and ruffians causing trouble.”

“Unfortunately, We are gravely De-xaggerating them! Orders, you know. It’s paramount that things return to normal and as quickly as possible. The rebels and fanatics can’t leave a lasting stain on a single square inch of our precious Eidru empire. — ”

Azure was so angry and animated in this impassioned speech that her face reddened, and she was practically in tears. Francine was shocked; she had never seen anyone so worked up about the state of the empire in such a short time.

“Oh dear, you’re getting yourself worked into a lather; it can’t be as bad as all that; my ladies tell me you’ve been here all day yelling at builders and working on your house. I say, Azure, how could you have been back here all day, doing pointless tasks such as menial labor, without even stopping by to let me see you were alright! Ohhhh”

Francine was about to say something when Mistress Arsenault fainted, quite out of nowhere, right onto the vines and flowers. Everyone but Neisha, Azure, and Mister Arsenault ran over to check on her, worried. Azure, on the other hand, bellowed.

“Oh, leave her! She just does this for attention: Let’s Eat! Oh, and mother, if you don’t get up, you won’t be properly introduced to your granddaughter.”

A loud shrieking gasp escaped Mistress Arsenault’s mouth as she tried to feign a slow arousal, but it was immediately obvious to all but the most foolish she had, indeed, been faking her distress. So they broke away and went to the table, leaving Gerdie and the Buttress, Endive, to help her up.

“You both finally get to meet the whole crew, Lady Adrema — “

Frannie turned to see which of them was Lady Adrema, realizing it was Neisha, who had, in the few minutes Azure’s mother had been making a scene, apparently gone upstairs and put her veil and layers of silver robes on. Lady Adrema was now entirely covered from head to toe in fabric and spangly metal.

“Also, Lady Adrema, Lady Styles, and Lady Kekhet. Lady– Fury is out; I’m sure you’ll meet her soon enough. All, this is my Father, Master Henry Arsenault, Of The Arsenault's Arsenal.”

Azure moved on, gesturing from Ginny to Cinnamon and finally to Cleo, who had never left the table and was almost finished eating her portion of meat. She waved from the Dining hall. The rest nodded and shook hands until eyes settled on Frannie and Argento, who stood next to Azure.

“Granddaughter!?”

As Azure finished introducing her crew to her father, Mistress Arsenault limped in, waving her handkerchief and leaning on poor Gerdie, who tried to keep a chipper face but was losing patience.

“And This… is my mother, Eliza Arsenault. I say, Mother, what are you doing? Shall I have you committed to a wheeled chair? Or do you think you can still walk? Now come in here and meet my daughter Francine.”

Without another complaint or so much as a wobble, her mother leaped into the air, clapping like a giddy child, startling Gerdie and nearly knocking her over. She was by Azure’s side instantly, expecting a baby, looking around.

“Ohhhhh, where is she? Where is she!”

“Right here, mother, are you losing sight as well as mental faculty?”

“How do you do, Mistress Arsenault? I’m very pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Lady Francine Hono– Ugh Mistress Francine Arsenault.”

The misstep caught Frannie’s breath in her throat. She quickly righted her train of thought, looking expectantly up at Azure, who was still smiling, which helped her worry less about it and carry on.

Azure flung her arms out and herded them all into the dining room while her mother burst into chittering excitement. She was practically vibrating. Grasping at Frannie’s long black hair, fussing over her traveling dress, which she hadn’t changed from since her things weren’t unpacked, as far as she knew. Asking a torrent of questions, Frannie could hardly separate one from the next.

“ Azure, why this is Young Lady Honorium of the Nethervale! Is this some sort of cruel joke on your poor old mother? What is the sport in telling me you have a daughter if you haven’t one? But what a pretty daughter you would be! So beautiful and so polite, too. Has something happened to your Father? Your own Lady mother, Bless her dearly departed soul; she passed on years ago, did she not? — “

“Are you going to stop long enough for me to tell you the story, or are you going to go on harassing the poor girl? You know she just got here this morning, Mother.”

With that chastisement, Mistress Arsenault didn’t stop, but she did introduce herself to Francine and quiet down so she could talk and hear the story simultaneously.

“If this is true, We will be seeing a lot more of each other. You can just call me Eliza, or better yet Gramma Arsenault! OHHHHH, doesn’t that just sound grand!”

Between “Gramma Arsenault’s” nonsensical exclamations and pointless prying questions, many of which Francine legitimately had no answers for, she caught bits and pieces of information from Azure’s conversation at the head of the table. She wasn’t well-versed in matters of war, politics, religion, or geography. Perhaps she should have paid her tutors more mind.

She had felt dreadfully lost the entire day. When she tuned in, she wasn’t sure if they were talking about people or places, but she looked across the table. Ginny was right in the thick of the conversation, and even Argento seemed like he could follow what was going on. At least if she asked him later, he wouldn’t make fun of her for not knowing any of this. She had a feeling Ginny wouldn’t look kindly on her blind spots.

“All of this activity has rather tired me out. I don’t know if there’s a bed in my room yet, but I need to turn in early tonight. Is Gerdie around to get me ready?”

Before dinner had even finished, Francine had grown tired of the confusing conversation and droning woman in her ear. She finally used her only weapon, retreat. Before the words had finished escaping her mouth, Gerdie was by her side, pulling her chair back and leading her off through the garden to her new room.

Thankfully, there was a bed; Gerdie even had a bath drawn for her, which sounded like heaven. She left all the troubles of this day — the longest day in history, she was sure of it — in the dusty dress she vacated. Sinking beneath the bubbles, letting her tears flow seamlessly into the water, she wished more than any single day before this one that her mother was there with her.

K.B. Silver

The story continues in chapter five, Surviving Lunch, the first paid subscriber chapter.