“How long do you plan to stay?”
“I…I haven’t really decided yet…”
Saeko and Natsuki Kruger now stood in what was the lady politician’s temporary residence, a fancy hotel located about a block away from the Vedelian Senate building, actually finding some time to talk since the current political meeting was in recess for the remainder of the day.
Natsuki had actually sat in during part of the session, watching her mother’s calm composure and undeniable strength. She was an amazing public speaker, a part of the girl had always known that about her mother, but her respect for the woman to be able to demand the attention of these other politicians, especially the ones whom they had just recently considered their enemy, was surely remarkable.
She had never considered herself much of a talker, instead Natsuki always proved herself through her actions, earning other’s respect in her own way. Even so, she couldn’t help but wonder if somewhere deep inside she had inherited that spectacular gift of her mother’s to fight battles with words. One thing for sure, however, was that to do what Saeko was doing, one need an abundance of patience, and that was something that the eighteen year old often lacked. Perhaps it would come with age, she thought.
But now she stood before this amazing woman, trying to express her wish to return to Windbloom.
With a sigh, the older woman removed her glasses, and retrieving a handkerchief from her coat pocket, began to wipe off the thin lenses, “I guess there’s no changing your mind, is there?”
Pulling out one of the chairs from beneath the small table in the room, Natsuki sat down, “There are just things that I need to take care of, mother…Questions that need to be answered…people I want to see…”
“Now though? Do you have to go now?” Saeko questioned, the yearning in her voice threatening to break her daughter’s willpower.
“I watched part of that meeting today,” the girl began, “you seem like you have things under control, mom. There’s not much I can do while both sides are talking anyway.”
“It’s not that, Natsuki…I just wanted to be with my daughter after all this time…during this peace that we both fought so hard for.”
“Mom…”
“Is that so wrong of me?”
“No, of course not…But it’s not like I’ll be gone forever, and when I come back with that GEM, just think of all the good we can do for Vedel. We can help protect our country together.”
Closing the distance between them, Saeko knelt down by her daughter, wrapping her arms tightly around the girl.
“M-Mom—?”
“Your father…would be so proud of you, Natsuki. I know he’s proud of you.”
Fighting back her tears, Natsuki silently returned the embrace.
Eventually breaking apart, the older woman remained kneeling on the floor, “So, when is the plane departing?”
Natsuki smirked, not surprised that her mother was aware of her planning, “Tomorrow morning.”
“I see…And you just knew that you’d be able to convince me, huh?”
“Well, I am your daughter after all.”
She was excited. She wanted to see Shizuru again. To tell her everything that had happened back home. Well, on second thought, perhaps not everything…she could definitely skip out on a few horrifying details and experiences she had encountered without spoiling too much of the story.
Natsuki was also dying to hear about Mai. If she had ever returned to Garderobe…what her final decision was…She had hated to leave for home when she desperately wanted to look for her friend, but it was far too late for regrets now.
And part of her was a little nervous about facing the Headmistress after her near three-month absence. Would the woman still present her with a GEM? Had her leaving diminished her chance of still becoming an Otome?
Stepping out of the cab, Natsuki progressed down the hedge-lined walkway, stopping in front of the black cast-iron gates at the end of the path that guarded the entrance to the school. Gazing up at the mighty structure at the top of the endless steps, a smile crept across her face.
As much as Vedel was home, so was this place.
Maneuvering over to the right side of the gates, she pressed the small button on the brick wall, and almost instantaneously, the small screen flickered to life.
“How may I help yo—K-Kruger-san!?”
“Uh…Y-Yeah…I was hoping to speak with the Headmistress…”
“O-Of course! Come right in, I’ll inform Oleander-sama of your arrival immediately.”
The monitor faded back to black, and a loud ‘clank’ alerted the girl that the gate was now unlocked. Natsuki quickly entered, making sure to shut the bars behind her, before making her way to the elevator that could take her to the school grounds.
The hum of the elevator’s engine was all that kept her company on the sloped ascent, and the girl absentmindedly tugged at the strap lying across her torso. Glancing down at the arm resting in the sling, Natsuki frowned slightly. She was sure the metal device would win her an overload of questions, and she definitely wasn’t looking forward to it. Really there were only a handful of individuals she wanted to talk to, but somehow she didn’t think she’d be lucky enough to evade all the others.
It wasn’t long before the elevator came to a halt, and when it did, Natsuki began walking towards the building that housed the Gakeunchou’s office, the receptionist from before coming out to meet her.
“Kruger-san, welcome back,” the girl addressed her, bowing politely, “Please, follow me.”
As Natsuki followed the guide through the hallways of the Academy, not that she needed one of course, she could practically feel the eyes of the younger girls they passed lingering on her. There was no disrespect intended by any of them, in fact, most bowed as she walked by, many of the older girl’s recognizing her almost immediately while the new underclassmen whispered amongst themselves about the “mysterious dark-haired woman”. The Otome-turned-soldier merely nodded her recognition, and couldn’t help but feel a little out of place amongst these feminine uniforms while in her military one.
Once the two had finally cleared the bustling hallway and entered the staff area, Natsuki released the breath she just now noticed that she had been holding. A short distance later, and the two were standing in front of the sturdy oak door that led to the Gakenchou’s office. The Pearl in front of her opened the door, and Natsuki whispered her thanks as she proceeded through, hearing the soft sound of it closing behind her once she was inside.
Lucretia Oleander stood across the room quietly gazing out the giant windows, keeping to this activity even as she spoke.
“Natsuki Kruger…I knew you would be back.”
Finally turning, the emerald-eyed girl noticed that the woman had a contented smile on her face as she approached, stopping a few feet away.
“Headmistress Oleander-sama.”
The Column took a moment to gaze over the girl in front of her, “I’m glad to see that you’re still in one piece. If you’re here, does that mean that the fighting in Vedel has been resolved?”
“For the most part, yes. Both sides are in peaceful negotiations at the moment, ma’am.”
“That’s good to hear. I’m sure you’re quite happy about this,” Lucretia remarked, motioning towards the couch and chairs, which the two promptly sat it.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“So, what brings you back to Garderobe, Miss Kruger?”
Natsuki cleared her throat before proceeding, “I had some questions for you, Headmistress, if I may.”
“Please.”
“Mai…what became of her?”
“I’m afraid I don’t have an answer for that,” Lucretia replied, blue eyes dimming slightly, “We’ve neither seen nor heard anything of the girl.”
“Nothing at all?” Natsuki desperately questioned, to which she only received a solemn shake of the head.
“I see,” she mumbled, hands clinching before the left painfully reminded her that it was still quite broken, “Headmistress?”
“Yes?”
“About the GEM I was to receive—”
“It was destroyed,” Oleander-sama answered before she could even finish.
“Wh-What?”
“I had Yohko dissolved it a long time ago.”
“B-But…why?”
“That GEM was never truly meant for you, Natsuki.”
Despite her best efforts, Natsuki couldn’t hold back the spark that flared in her eyes, “Then what was all of this for? Four years of training and studying…for what? I was supposed to become an Otome for my homeland...Had you planned this all along?”
“That GEM was never meant for you because there is a far greater one that you deserve,” the older woman snapped back, her own emotions slipping through.
The dark-haired girl across the table was completely taken aback, mouth gaping, incapable of stringing together a complete sentence.
“Huh?”
“The Ice Silver Crystal—“
Emerald eyes widened.
“—the GEM that resides on my ear at this very moment…This is the GEM. Your GEM.”
“O-Oleander…sama…”
“You are the one who should inherit it, Natsuki. I want you to take my place as Headmistress of Garderobe Academy.”
Natsuki, still dumbstruck at the woman’s words, could only blink, “But…Gakuenchou…”
“Of all my years here at Garderobe…of all the girl’s I’ve seen come and go from this school, you have been the only one that I’ve truly believed could take over this position. Granted there is still room for improvement, and there are still quite a few things that need to be covered, but the potential is certainly there,” Lucretia informed her, pointedly shaking a single finger in the air.
“I…I…” the girl uttered, gaze averting to the ground.
With a small sigh, the woman continued, “Look, I cannot force anything upon you, Natsuki. The choice, whether I like it or not, is ultimately up to you. But please, listen to me. I’ve seen the determined young lady that you are, and the strong woman that you can become. I believe wholeheartedly that you could do great things for this school…and for Earl as a whole, so I ask that you please consider it. Do not rush the decision…take your time…And in the meantime, we’ll start your lessons.”
The weight of seriousness over the room seemed to disperse with that last statement, and Natsuki lifted her head to meet the Headmistress’ quizzically.
“Lessons?”
“Yes. They’ll start when you get back.”
“’When I get back’? Where am I going?”
“Well, you do want to see her, don’t you?”
“Her…Shizuru…” the girl thought, a warm smiled spreading on her face, all of the previous conversation seemingly swept away for the time being.
“Yeah, I do.”
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