The Unlucky Brunette (WMMAP Jeanette Fanfic) Jeanette x Jeremy Agriche

Chapter 6: Bloodlines

Now Athanasia was listening to the dark haired woman more intently than anything else. She hadn't been this focused ever, even when figuring out what to say to her father when he's in a bad mood. Though, of course as her luck would have it, there was another jingle of bells interrupting both the women.

The librarian jerked as if she had been caught doing something insanely wrong. She looked nervous and was caught off guard. Were the Agriche's such a big deal?

The person who walked in was rather petite of stature, wearing a long, dark brown cloak with a hood. Shiny, silver locks were peeking out from beneath the hood and her hardly missable gold eyes shined brightly like the sun. It was a 16 year old girl, a traveller, the two tense girls assumed. In fact what they did not know was that the girl was looking for none other than Jeanette Margarita.

"Ah, good morning!" She said in a melodious voice, her words coated in sickly sweet honey. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting something important but I need to have a word with the blonde over there." She swished her hand towards Athanasia and motioned her to follow behind.

Athanasia without much thought and with much confusion followed the honey sweet girl outside. The librarian threw a sharp look over to the girls but it went unnoticed by both....

Outside in the warm sunlight, the honey sweet girl finally but delicately pulled down her hood and showed her full face. In fact the honey sweet appearance was a correct assumption, the girl looked extremely bright...she had delicate but radiant features and a gentle, pale smile.

Athanasia straightening her posture to address the unknown stranger in front of her then spoke firmly, "Who might you be and what business did you need me for?"

"I know you're the Crown Princess, I'm just here to offer a....deal." The girl said, a smile still plastered on her face but her eyes shooting a glare.

A surprised and wary Crown Princess was unstettled by the stranger knowing who she was but decided to hear the deal, she had nothing to lose...for now. "Let's hear it."

"You may address me as Mielle. I'm a saintess and am educated in healing. I'll provide you information on the Agriche's and how your sister, Jeanette Margarita is related to them. We know each other....quite well. In return, lend me a hand to find her. More precisely, she'll be arriving in Obelia, a few days time. I'll need you to get in contact with her and keep her...contained for a while. Enough time to speak with her..." The girl who was supposedly named Mielle had an unusual smirk at the end of her sentence which made Athanasia's skin crawl, it felt that she had some ulterior motive. It made the blonde want to refuse the offer but if what the girl was saying was true and she actually knew Jeanette personally then Athanasia would be able to rely on some actual facts rather than roaming rumours.

So with utmost hesitancy and regret the blonde said, "I...accept."

Mielle smirked and proceeded to say, "I'm getting straight to the point and the thing you want to hear. Penelope Judith, the mother of Jeanette Margarita was the half sister of Maria Agriche, who is married to Lant Agriche. Maria belongs to a Dukedom and was born of wedlock, meanwhile Penelope was born in an affair between the head of the family and a woman from another famous family like the Agriche's, Vertium of the Gold."

Athanasia's mind fogged, she'd never heard of this name before.

"It seems his majesty really kept you in the dark." Mielle said. "Along with the Agriche's there are four other grand families that fight for power in the west. Pherion of White, Gasteur of Red, Pedalian of Blue and Vertium of Gold. Together, these five families keep the balance of the west. Penelope's mother is a member of the Vertium clan, more precisely she's of direct bloodline. I'll tell you something, the Vertium's and Obelians didn't get along...for reasons too many to count, along with Penelope causing mayhem later on, the emperor really hates anyone who's related to Penelope. That's why he didn't want you knowing anything about them. Besides there's a good reason." Mielle finished her statement, her tone turning cold.

The blonde had a hard time processing this new information and her brain was clouded with too many thoughts. Muttering out the only thing she could think off, she spit out "Why...?" In a tone of daze and confusion.

"....The Vertium's were the reason for Diana's death."

The plunging hooves on the grassy meadow were audible clear as day, a brunette riding the black colt named "Lord". Jeanette had been travelling for a few days now and she was close to reaching her destination, Obelia. The brunette wanted to visit the grand palace first, it would bring up some memories...mostly ones that weren't good. In fact, the Empire would be celebrating by the time she reached there, tomorrow was the day she had fled from that horrid place and by now they must have considered her dead...or not. She knew a group of soldiers had spotted her in the Agriche mansion. By now the news must have reached her dear family members at the palace. It was intentional, of course, more like a warning, though she didn't know if they'd take it as that.

Along with her encroaching on a place with ghastly and hideous memories, she had another thought tugging at her from when she had left. The brunette hasn't been dilly dallying for 6 years, she had made connections...and enemies. One she was concerned about had made a move. A letter personally arrived with a...very...inviting...gift, a dead bunny attached to the letter. Mockery? Why of course. The letter read...

"Dear Jeanette,
It's been such a long time since we last met, it's a shame you're leaving to a far away place for so long...It's really not, now that you're not surrounded by those psychotic Agriche's, I can have all the time torturing this white little bunny. I can't wait for us to meet each other again after this many years! It'll be so much fun!
I'll be waiting for you in Obelia~"

There was no designation at the end of the letter but Jeanette knew exactly who it was from, that girl....it was ironic that she was the one being called a white bunny...that wench.