Hohenfels

Chapter 33

“He did what…?”

Matthias had just arrived at his private dining table to have a peaceful breakfast after a very hectic week. Instead, his friend and aide Clemens von Rabenberg crushed what little relaxation Matthias had allowed himself before the impending turmoil.

“...He and a group of armed men marched into Sonnenfeld Hall in full dress uniform, planted the Hohenfels banner in the foyer, ignored Prince Ludwig, and insulted the Housemaster.”

“Why in Christ’s name would he do that?” Matthias mused, not yet certain how he felt about this situation.

In some ways, Arnold’s actions would prove highly beneficial. They would play right into Matthias’ hands by dragging Ludwig’s many failings into the spotlight. Hohenfels would undoubtedly enjoy a surge in popularity among those unsatisfied with the ‘Establishment’. It was a clear signal that the margraviate was not cowed by Western posturing and games.

On the flip side, the message was too effective. Coupled with the duel, it turned subtle antagonism into open rivalry – meaning that anyone without clear-cut stakes would be much less likely to openly side with Hohenfels lest they risk directly provoking Sonnenfeld.

It was an incredibly polarizing move, and it had come months, if not years, too early. Princess Maria might simply declare neutrality now, as was tradition for Greifenau. And speaking of tradition, the newly arrived Princess Charlotte would do as Schwarzwald always did and try to place herself as a bridge between the factions, while subtly supporting Western dominance.

It really was a shame that Princess Klara was so useless. Another ducal scion supporting Hohenfels’ ascension and the subsequent end of the status quo would be a game changer in a few years. But Klara as well as the Hohenfels cousins were too hung up on pastsquabbles to even consider such a thing.

But if there was a way to convince Duke Albrecht…

“I believe she is currently on her morning walk through the gardens, Your Highness.”

Matthias sighed and rose from his chair again.

Clemens blinked. “What about your breakfast?”

“My appetite is gone. I’ll go find my fiancée.”

He left Falkenstein Hall with a brisk stride and quickly found Elenor in the gardens, accompanied by her followers. When she spotted him and his strained expression, she quickly shooed them away.

“I take it you’ve heard the news, dear?” she asked and took the arm he offered.

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“Mhm. Have you made any progress with Princess Maria?”

“I believe so. She implied that Greifenau is currently in a position to shoulder a part of Eisengrund’s debt to the church, at least if we provide a guarantor.”

Matthias allowed himself a sigh of relief. “Thank Christ you met with her yesterday. I’ll send a letter to my father, then.”

= = = = =

Katharina stared at the ceiling, unable to enjoy the soft mattress of her luxurious Francian bed.

At first, she had thought things had just become a lot more difficult, but they really hadn’t. If anything, they had become uncomfortably simple.

Caving to Prince Ludwig’s threats was not an option. Even if she became his loyal spy, he could simply drop her at random and presumably gloat to absolutely everyone. That meant Prince Arnold would hear about it, and he would not take kindly to her betrayal, leaving her completely isolated again.

She had no choice but to bet everything on Hohenfels while praying that she would not be disinherited as House Silberthal dealt with the fallout. Not an unlikely outcome – and one that made it even more important to have powerful friends.

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So, what could she do?

The first priority was to keep getting closer to Arnold. He seemed to be inclined to keep her around, if only for the convenience of not having to handle social trifles. Adding more reasons was vitally important, and she had to play all angles.

Priority number two was extending her own reach. Katharina had already taken the first step by approaching Princess Klara, and building a friendly relationship with her was central to all other plans. But she needed friends among the many young aristocrats from Greifenau and Falkenstein as well. Perhaps even Schwarzwald, depending on Princess Charlotte’s attitude towards her.

And lastly, she needed to consolidate Prince Arnold’s standing, by getting everyone with a bone to pick with Sonnenfeld to rally behind him. He made for a rather imposing figurehead after all, and now that he had set the course, she – no, they – could play into this image further.

Katharina’s stomach growled, reminding her that she had not eaten since yesterday afternoon. She reluctantly got up and donned one of her simplest dresses, having come to enjoy the convenience of not having to call for an attendant to clothe her.

Upon arrival at the dorm’s refectory, she became painfully aware of the attention Arnold’s display had roused. She could practically feel the stares of anyone noticing her. Most were simply curious, but some were outright hostile.

She decided to get breakfast at the mess hall instead.

= = = = =

Arne had long given up on following the tactics lecture. Not only were its contents lacking, but the inquisitive stares had redoubled, and with them the strain on his mind. Thankfully, his newly appointed Captain of the Guard was taking his duties much too seriously, glowering at anyone who dared to look in their general direction for more than a second.

The fruits of his labor were already showing. Instead of the casually curious gazes he had been subjected to before, the atmosphere now carried an undercurrent of wariness and fear. While he would have preferred respect, it was still a marked improvement.

“Are you sure you don’t need me around?” Friedrich asked worriedly after the lesson finally ended.

“I’ll be fine. There are only four students in my next lecture, including myself.”

“All right then.” Worry. Uneasiness. Guilt.

“Go train your new subordinates instead,” Arne suggested. “Something tells me we might need capable fighters in the future.”

Friedrich’s face lit up at that, and he nodded enthusiastically. “Got it! See you later!” And with that, he was gone.

With any luck, his duties would keep him out of trouble by simply keeping him out of the arena. Arne sighed deeply and made his way to the classroom to learn more about the rich history of ritual magic from Professor… ‘What’s his name again?’

Unsurprisingly, he found Katharina already waiting in the classroom.

“Good afternoon, Lady Katharina. I see that your interest in military tactics has lessened,” he smirked as he sat down next to her.

She harrumphed, though he could feel that her heart wasn’t in it. “Good afternoon, Prince Arnold,” she greeted with an exaggerated pout. Her aura was tense and conflicted, despite her outward composure.

They were still alone in the room, but given the possibility of someone listening at the door, he lowered his voice. “Is everything all right?”

“...Not quite. Do you have time for a talk in the library after the lesson?” Stress.Anxiety.

“Sure. I suppose it has to do with Ludwig?”

She nodded tersely.

“I see,” Arne sighed. After quick deliberation, he took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. The gesture sent intense ripples through her aura as her thoughts were thrown into disarray, much to his amusement.

The sound of the door opening made them both flinch, and they hurriedly disentangled their hands just before the two remaining students entered the room. He dearly hoped that his blush was less obvious than Katharina’s.

Arne recognized the young woman from Hohenfels Hall. He was pretty sure that he had seen her around Friedrich – which admittedly did not count for much. She recognized him immediately though, and curtsied with the appropriate amount of deference for a lower noble. ‘The daughter of a Baron from Marbach, perhaps?’

The young man, however, was not someone Arne had made note of before, meaning that he probably hailed from Eisengrund or Wehrach. He bowed deeply as well, eliciting a nod from Arne.

Shortly after they had taken their seats, a disheveled man with a frayed aura and dark rings underneath his eyes entered the room. As a vague scent of liquor wafted through the room, Arne suddenly got a sense of déjà-vu that he couldn’t quite place.

‘Is he a replacement for the lecturer? Professor… Why can’t I remember his name? It was… Southern? No. Eastern. Huh?’

The… substitute teacher looked around the room and sighed. “Well, at least we didn’t lose anyone else.”

‘Why is he talking like we know him?’

Katharina’s aura contorted slightly in irritation. ‘Is she getting a strange feeling as well?’

The man rummaged through his bag and produced two heavy tomes. He placed one book in front of each pair with a loud thud. “Those are part of my personal collection, so please don’t damage them.”

Arne opened the book. There was a small note on the first page: ‘Property of Jerzy Nowak’.

‘Right, of course. That’s the lecturer's name. Why am I–’

He blinked and looked up at the Professor, who was studying everyone with an intense gaze.

‘What have I gotten myself into…?’