Tears in the Snow (Natasi)

[Maximilian Jens]

"Are you quite finished?" Maximilian crossed his arms.

Coming here, he had expected a number of different possibilities. None of which took into consideration the character that was Natasi Fortan, his cousin. Maximilian wondered if he had ever met such a cross and bitter woman in his lifetime. How could he ever grow to care about her, much less call her family? Her strings of insults heaped on, but Jens instead decided to remain silent, knowing that uttering any defensive retorts would get him positively nowhere. If she wanted to think of him as a tasteless, money-grabbing cretin and a burglar, fine. He no longer cared.

"I'd like to be introduced to your staff first and foremost, if that's fine."

 

[Natasi Fortan]

"Not all of them, certainly. Most of them are doing their jobs." She crossed to the fireplace and pulled the signal. A moment later the butler arrived. "Milady?" Natasi furrowed her brow and said, "Please assemble the footmen, the maids, the groom and the gamekeeper in the hall. Lieutenant Jens would like to meet them." The butler looked aggrieved, but he bowed his head and left the room. Natasi turned back to Max. "This should only take a few moments."

Sure enough, five minutes later the butler returned to announce that the staff had been assembled in the hall. Natasi followed him to the hall and walked along the line of servants, explaining who was whom and what they all did. "Grent, as the underbutler, will act as your valet if you come without your man." She continued down the line, introducing footman after footman after maid after maid, until the end: "Stul here is the groom. He can organize a mount for you if you like, and Sopre will arrange the hunt."

The butler cleared his throat. "Milady... begging your pardon, but are we to take instruction from the Baron?"

Natasi glanced at Maximilian, then back to the butler. "Papa will have to make a ruling on that question, don't you agree? For now, you must take care of whatever needs he has -- food, drink, a room, et cetera. Surely you have no complaints with that, Cousin Maximilian?"

 

[Maximilian Jens]

Maximilian had hoped to conduct a more informal greeting with the servants of Herevan Hold, but he played along, crossing his hands behind him as the men and women assembled before him. He would have preferred to see them at work, or at least talk with a few on an individual basis, as there was little he could glean about any one of them, assembled as they were. It was all just a sea of names to Lieutenant Jens, who listened as Natasi ran through the list of servants as though she were reading off the back of a ration packet. The whole affair was cryptic. The servants didn't seem to like the "under new ownership" status of Herevan Hold any more than anyone else did, and no doubt they were probably wondering how long their own tenures would last under this strange Lieutenant.

"I don't ask for anything," Maximilian turned to Natasi and then to the rest of the group. "Lord Herevan is still the leader of this house. No one should be taking any orders from me. It's... nice to meet you all," He said, trying to diffuse the tense tone of the situation.

Once the maids and footmen had left, Maximilian thought about what had been said. He didn't know what to be more frightened over; the prospect of running a new estate, or sharing a roof with Natasi.

"If I'm going to be staying here, I should probably return home to bring the necessary means," He shrugged. "Perhaps it is best if I leave you for the rest of the day and return tomorrow."

 

[Natasi Fortan]

The loyalty shown by the staff was heartening to Natasi. To their credit, the servants did look wary of this new would-be heir. With a nod, Natasi dismissed everyone but the butler. The butler, on the other hand, raised a hand to scratch the side of his nose, winked, and followed the young lady. Natasi inclined her head and turned back to Maximilian. "Perhaps it would be best," she repeated as she began walking towards the door, waiting for him to follow. The day had been a highly emotional one for both Natasi and her father.

When they reached the door, the butler swept it open for them and Natasi walked out before turning to the butler. "Please have the Lieutenant's speeder brought round for him." When the butler had bowed and turned to disappear back into the car, Natasi turned back to her long lost cousin. "Will you be bringing your man with you, or shall we have Grent look after you? And I think it best for all parties that we pretend that today's unpleasantness never occurred. If you are to be an Earl of Herevan, you must get used to sweeping things under the rug. It will be good practice."

She forced a smile. "I will smooth things over with Papa, I promise."

 

[Maximilian Jens]

At the first hint of something close to warmth displayed by Natasi, Maximilian couldn't help but smile back. It was more a small grin of relief than genuine happiness, as he stepped outside the walls of the opulent manor and came down the stairs towards his speeder. After explaining to Natasi that he would be bringing his own butler with him, he wondered what the man would think of this place and these people.

"Yes... perhaps that would be best." He nodded softly. Doubtful as to whether it was within Natasi's power to smooth anything over with her father when it came to Maximilian, he was forced to take her word. "Well then. I should go. I'll be by at nine o'clock tomorrow."

He stepped into his speeder, and the chauffeur closed the door behind him, barring Lieutenant Jens' face from view.

The night was a restless one. There was something about the solitude of lying in bed in the darkness that made a man inherently reflective of things, especially the day's actions, which Maximilian replayed over and over in his mind. In contrast to his mood, the sun was shining gleefully on the snow-encrusted ground and silvren twigs as he made his way back to Herevan Hold in the morning. Spending the entire day and night yesterday pondering his situation had finally caused him to reach an epiphany. It felt odd now, but perhaps in time he would be vindicated in knowing he did the right thing.

The speeder pulled up to the entrance of the Hold, and Jens stepped out. This time, he was without his grey officer's uniform, instead wearing a sharp red and black tunic, providing some humanity to his otherwise strictly militaristic appearance. Behind him, his butler Jorgen stepped out and took in the view of Herevan Hold for the first time. The first person Maximilian was hoping to see this morning, somewhat paradoxically given yesterday's events, was Natasi.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Maximilian's wish was granted, after a fashion. The entire household was present, from the maids to the footman to the butler on the right-hand side of the door, to the family on the left-hand side. The staff, in unison, performed an appropriately deferential movement, either a bow or a curtsy depending on gender, and Lord Fortan stepped forward to greet his distantly-related cousin. Any trace of yesterday's unpleasantness had evaporated, and while the house was still in mourning, it was a genial greeting that Maximilian Jens received this time. Natasi had seen to it personally.

"Lord Jens," Fortan said as they shook hands. "You look positively spiffing."

Natasi wore a simple black dress with no jewelry and little makeup. The house was still in mourning, after all. She approached after her father and inclined her head. "Lord Jens. Welcome to Herevan Hold. Who's this you brought with you?"

 

[Maximilian Jens]

Altogether unsurprised that the house was lined up to meet him, Maximilian expected the Fortans to adhere to formal code. Fortunately, Natasi was among them. The mood of the employees seemed rather more lively today than the gloomy affair he had witnessed yesterday. If it wasn't just a show, Jens marveled at how a single day could change everything.

"Thank you, Lord Herevan," Maximilian returned the man's smile after a handshake. There was no trace of yesterday's anger in his eyes.

Then, Max turned to Natasi. "This," He motioned behind him at the skeletal man with a receding hairline, "Is Jorgen, my butler." After Jorgen made the proper greeting motions, Jens leaned in closer. "I was wondering, could we have a word at your earliest convenience?"

 

[Natasi Fortan]

If Natasi was confused as to why Cousin Maximilian brought a butler, she didn't let on. She only smiled graciously in greeting to Jorgen before turning her attention to Maximilian. "Cousin Maximilian, welcome to Herevan Hold. If it would be convenient, Mr. Jorgen can be shown to your room to unpack your case, and then to a room of his own below stairs." She gestured for Herevan's butler to come forward, and he did. The arrangements made, she turned to her father who, perhaps on cue, cleared his throat and said: "I have to complete a meeting with the manager. Natasi, would you mind?" He gestured vaguely before going off towards the library for his meeting.

"It appears my earliest convenience would be now," Natasi said. "We'll take tea in the conservatory, please," she said to Herevan's butler. He nodded and, at some unseen signal, dismissed the rest of the staff. "Would you follow me, please?"

She led him down the wide grand hall and down a shallow set of steps into the conservatory--a room that was two walls of glass and filled with plant life that would otherwise be blanketed in snow. The room was warm but not hot, and slightly humid without being uncomfortable. There were comfortable chairs set around a café table, and that was where Natasi took Maximilian. "Please, take a seat. And don't mind the tentacula -- it is curious but it is not carnivorous." She indicated one of the tentacled succulents that sat behind Maximilian's chair before taking her own place.

 

[Maximilian Jens]

"Oh, good," Maximilian said and smiled. He didn't like to be kept waiting.

"Jorgen, why don't you take the things to my room, and I'll meet up with you later," He turned to his butler, who replied with a polite "Very well, mi'lord,", and turned to comply.

Once Jorgen had departed, Maximilian followed Natasi through the winding halls of Herevan Hold until they came to the conservatory. This place was still so unfamiliar to him, despite the grandeur of the walls, the stylish curtains, and finely trimmed and decorated woodwork of the tables reminding him so much of his own home. He sat, wondering much like a schoolboy did on his first day at a new school, if he could ever come to call Herevan Hold his second home, and draw comfort from within its walls. Time seemed to have a positive effect on all of these things, he knew. Then again, it was anybody's guess as to how long he would actually be here.

"Thank you for sparing the time, Cousin Natasi," He said, and crossed his legs. Clearing his throat, he began. "I wanted you to know that I've done a lot of thinking since yesterday. The solitude of my estate will do that to a man. I've decided..." He shifted in his seat, "I would like it very much if Herevan Hold went to someone who your family desires. Of course I'll stay here and learn the way of things, should no suitable alternative be found, but I will help you. I will help you bring Herevan back to the Fortans."

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Natasi studied Maximilian's face for a moment, wondering if this was some sort of trick. He sounded genuine enough, but... it didn't jibe with the Maximilian Jens she had met the day before -- headstrong and determined to inherit Herevan if only just to spite her. She took a breath and was about to speak when the rather efficient footman appeared with a tea tray. "Leave here, please, and I will serve. Thank you." Natasi waited for the footman to leave before she poured a cup of tea for Maximilian and another for her.

"I would be grateful, if you mean what you say. It has upset Papa that he can't provide security for me the way he would have if my brother had inherited. It would ease his mind if he knew you were looking into it. And--" Her voice caught. "--And if there's nothing to be done about it, then they certainly can't blame you. You'd have tried, knowing you'd stand to lose the most." She pursed her lips and then took a sip of her tea before continuing:

"May I ask what has caused this change of heart?"

 

[Maximilian Jens]

Maximilian's eyes followed the footman as he entered the room with tea. It never seemed to early to enjoy a cup, and so Jens eagerly partook, placing a hand under the saucer offered to him and carefully holding it above his lap.

"That's what I'd presumed," He replied to her statement about her father, knowing that the old man was probably beside himself in torment not only over the death of his son, but the unstable future of his daughter as well.

At Natasi's question, Maximilian paused for a moment. He was in the middle of a sip of tea, and delicately placed the saucer down on the table between them to fold his hands across his lap and formulate a reply.

"Because we're family, Natasi. And I think we ought to start acting like it. I realized that I'm to blame for this."

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Natasi dabbed her lips with a napkin and then set her teacup down. "That's very magnanimous of you," she returned, and for a moment she allowed herself to think that it might be possible to inherit Herevan after all, ancestors' wishes be damned. But she reminded herself that she wasn't mistress of Herevan yet and there were no guarantees. "Thank you, Maximilian. But you can't hold the moral high ground alone by claiming the blame. It was a family effort. Papa and I weren't at our best either. I'm sorry."

There. She'd said it. It was difficult to be sure, but she'd said it. Natasi took another drink of her tea. "Well, that's settled. Now. What can you tell me about the state of affairs with the Empire? I'd like to do my part, but I'm not sure what that is yet. Can you advise me?"

 

[Maximilian Jens]

The apology was sweet coming off of Natasi's lips, something Maximilian would never have expected to see yesterday. But perhaps they now had an understanding, and two strangers were not so strange to each other anymore. For the first time, Maximilian looked upon Natasi and saw her as a woman. Her porcelain skin and delicate neck were framed gracefully by her silken brown hair as she sat across from him, regally holding her teacup. She was beautiful.

Seeing that she was quick to move on, something which he couldn't entirely blame her for, Jens followed suit. "The state of things is dire. I believe we're in for a very prolonged war. There will come a time when I, too, am called to the front. As for your part, well..."

His eyes wandered the room as he thought.

"Hmm. What are your specialties? Anything you particularly enjoy doing?" He was sure she had useful qualities, but he couldn't quite picture a grease-handed Natasi working in a factory producing bombs for the Empire.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Natasi paused to consider this for a moment. "I scored well on the analysis and administrative sections of the entrance exam. I'm still waiting for my results, but I figure it wouldn't hurt to know what is needed before I go for my interview. If I tell them I want to do what they need someone for, then I have all the better chance for my enthusiasm." She flashed a bright smile before taking another sip of her tea. After a moment, she grew pensive. "And really, I think that's what I need right now: something to put myself into, do you know what I mean?"

She glanced at the tentacula, which had draped one of its limbs over Max's shoulder, then gave Max a reassuring smile. "I'm sure it's not trying to eat you," she assured him.

"Any rate -- what do you do? Papa said you were a pilot, but do you fly fighters, or bombers, or...?" She let her voice trail off and shrugged. "I just realized that there's very little we actually know about you."