random hildamari AU

As much as Hilda liked festivities, she would always find herself being misplaced at the annual ball of Leicester Alliance.

Hilda liked to dance - as much as her older brother would, maybe – and she would ask almost every children from the noble houses that’s present by the party, even guarding knights, to accompany her. Her carefree manner sometimes made everyone forget that she is a noble, the second child of esteemed House Goneril.

House Goneril, below her brother’s guidance, has proven to be successful in maintaining the safety and trade routes between Fodlan and the neighboring country Almyra within the Fodlan’s Throat. While the face of the Leichester Alliance belonged to Duke Riegan’s grandson (who’s also said to be a crown prince of Almyra by his lineage), no one there doesn’t know about Duke Holst of House Goneril; a capable man of arms and trades.

Being famous and all, Hilda doesn’t think too much of the fame – spending her leisure time freely by herself while she is not needed to help her brother. Attending the annual ball of Leicester Alliance is also one thing as to ‘help her brother’.

“Hilda, can you help me?”

Holst stopped her from waltzing to seek another cake from the table. Her brother has been crowned by people ever since the ball started, mostly talking about business. Meanwhile, Hilda will check out the food, the drinks, asks some noble children to talk and dance … yeah, more lip-service stuffs, though she is not doing it for a mere lip-service.

Okay, back to her brother.

“Can you greet the adopted kid of Margrave Edmund for me? I think Lord Gloucester will keep me here for a while …”

Hilda looked over to her brother’s shoulder. A gruff old man with purple hair is enjoying his tall glass of wine together with a flamboyant-looking young man with rose on his chest. They were both wearing a full set of armor with a mark of House Gloucester on its back, embellished in gold.

“Adopted kid? So they are new to this ball?”

“Yeah, kinda. They are substituting for their father as Margrave Edmund attended another matter somewhere at the Kingdom. And, oh. I’ve heard that the kid is just graduated from Kingdom’s School of Knights.”

Hilda noted inwardly, guess that the child of Margrave Edmund is wearing a full-set armor much like others from guarding knights. The pink-haired young woman didn’t anyone passing by with such profile all the while she is in the party.

Leicester Alliance is ruled by five influential noble families, joined as ‘Leicester Alliance Roundtable’. This feast is one of the council meeting between the five families; sometimes introducing something new, or reporting the recurring condition in the Alliance’s body. House Daphnel, which is one of the Roundtable member at first, relinquished their position to the Margrave Edmund due to internal affairs just a year ago. Margrave Edmund might be a newer family compared to others, but the Margrave is rising in power because of its skilled orator as the leader.

What Hilda have in mind about this adopted kid is that they are wearing armor and might be a political-talker, hopefully not as flowery as Lorenz from Gloucester.

“Okay, I’ll ask around then.”

“And don’t go too far off the main building!”

“Mou, I’m not a little girl anymore!”


- - -


Hilda’s first stop is to the face of reception desk, waiting for the line to clear before she asked the lady who’s holding the guest book whether the representative of Margrave Edmund is coming to the ball or not.

“Are you searching for the member of Edmund family, ma’am? They just left earlier.” One of the guarding female knight with orange hair greeted Hilda.

“Ehh!? But the ball has yet to end!”

“They said they wanted some fresh air, and asked me to tell her if there will be any announcement from House Riegan.” The knight said again.

“I think they are going for an empty park area just besides the main building. They are wearing full face mask so I don’t know how to describe them aside that.”

The moon is beautiful outside, no one will be subjected to take a stroll away from the bustling crowd, or so Hilda thought.

“Thank you for telling me! I’ll go get them!”

As she is tasked by her brother to see this person, better go for the length to find them rather than waiting restlessly, right?

---

The cold breeze greeted Hilda as she walked down the set of stairs from the main building of Ordelia’s Manor. Usually, the annual ball would be commenced at Derdriu, Leicester Alliance’s capital. Though as the said grandson of Duke Riegan wanted a change of scenery, he thought of moving the ball to Ordelia’s at the last minute decision, much to the current House head’s chagrin.

Ordelia’s territory is located close to the Great Bridge of Myrrdin, one that separated the region between Alliance and the Empire. The river is beautiful at night, especially when stars are on its brightest, though sadly, the Manor is not close to the main river area. There should be small river bank around, though – maybe Hilda can check it later.

Ordelia’s Manor is not exactly as spacious as other House’s Manor, as they have been struggling for a few years now after Empire’s power centralization policy. Slowly with the help of the Alliance, the House is regaining its fame.

Hilda didn’t mind of the park being small, it’s only makes easier for her to spot the said knight whom she needed to greet.

Not long from her initial walking, she found an open space beyond tall topiary walls, though a few owls already flying about past her head. Hilda tried not to make a sound, or a yelp as another white owl joined to the direction of the park, as if lured by food.

The moonlight reflected from the rigid steel armor of a person standing by amidst the crowd of night owls. One may think that the person is cursed as it is rare for anyone to attract owls. Hilda found herself hiding between the tall bushes, waiting for the reaction of said armored knight of the owls around them.

As the guarding knight said, the person should be someone that Hilda sought, the adopted kid of Margrave Edmund. Yet, the pinkette didn’t know how to approach such—enigma, stranger below the beguiling moonlight.

The armored knight reached for their helmet, taking it off to let out a loose strands of pale blue.

“… A woman?”

The young knight smiled at the sight of owls, trying not to scare them as she offered her arms for them to stay. Then again, it’s Hilda – who’s surprised by the revelation of the young knight that she stumbled on the bushes and fell, generating loud rustles that made the owls broke free.

“Who’s … there?”

Hilda didn’t know whether she heard that right, as she is deep in the bushes, but the voice carried by the wind is so soft – too soft for being a knight of her standard.

“Are you … okay?”

The pinkette tried to pull herself out of humiliation, only to find that the said knight is kneeling before her, seemingly trying to give a hand for help. But as Hilda already stood, she scurried away, looking at her feet instead.

“Oh, umm, hello.” Hilda tried, dusting away the leaves from her gown. “Are you the representative of Margrave Edmund?”

The smile she saw earlier is not there, replaced by a look of distress. The young knight opened her lips, but nothing came out aside of a hiss.

“Y… Yes.”

Another soft voice. Hilda blinked. Also the young knight fidgeted a lot, despite she is looking more intimidating than how Hilda is.

Is she really a knight?

“I’m Hilda Valentin Goneril. My brother told me to seek for you,” Hilda said, as cheerful as she usually is. “And you are?”

Hilda waited, not pressing. It would be okay if she didn’t answer – Hilda can’t force someone who’s not willing to talk.

“M-Marianne … von Edmund.” A pause. Her face is blossoming red, which is cute. “P, Pleased to meet you, Hilda-san …”

Out of sudden, Hilda took herself to silence. She watched how Marianne’s expression shifted. Albeit like a rabbit cowering in fear at the face of an eagle, Hilda liked how her eyes shone with sincerity and kindness.

“Hilda-san … are you here to get me because … Duke Riegan have something … to say?”

“Oh, no. I …” trying to compose a quick reply, Hilda didn’t find any. “I want to see you … because my brother told me to.”

“I see.”

There, more silence.

Not everyone is born with a talent of speaking with others, or this person simply got nothing much to say, then again, Hilda found the stillness is oddly comforting.

“Say, Marianne-chan.”

“E-Eh?”

“How about we walk out farther? I think the river is not far from here.”

“The … river?”

“You will see.”

[ Hilda didn’t know why she pulls away the stranger knight; she didn’t know why she clasped those hands, even until the night ended. ]