Snow Fall (Book one)

Chapter Seven

December came and Gracelia trained with Tomas and Alexander every day during those days. She was a fast learner that even her father had given her some advice against her mother's wishes but Gracelia avoided her mother at all costs. She'd go down to the courtyard before her mother would wake up. She'd even gone as far as eating with the other men during lunch, her father didn't seem bothered by it since it seemed he was tired most of the time because he had been sleeping in his office. After the incident with the drawing room and Gracelia being dressed as a boy, Juliana had kicked Hugh out of their bedroom. When she would hide in her room away from her mother, Marquis and Adelina had kept her company. Marquis had even gone as far as teaching her how to handle an intruder should they come in through her balcony door. He'd play out scenarios with her, advising her how to deal with it in certain ways an intruder would come at her.

During one such session her father had been in the room, overseeing how far his daughter had come from not knowing anything about self defense to mastering it with in days. After they were happy that Gracelia knew how to handle herself, they'd all sit down and enjoy tea together. "Gracelia." Hugh said, still sitting in a plush chair that the maids had brought in for them.

"Yes, papa?" Gracelia asked her father. Turning away from Marquis, they were discussing other tactics that she could use with her room layout. He waved her over. Gracelia ran over to her father, her white hair flowing behind her like a cape. "Yes?" He pulled Gracelia onto his lap.

"I have something for you." He reached into the inside of his jacket and pulled out a sheathed dagger from the folds. On the hilt was a rainbow moonstone that threw off five colors when the sun hit it. Gracelia gasped and looked at her father in shock.

"It's pretty, are you sure I can have it?" Gracelia looked at the dagger with shaking hands, wanting to hold it in her hand. Hugh smiled at his daughter's hesitance to hold it since he saw it as a family heirloom. It was his mother's before giving it to him when she fell ill of tuberculosis, his father had it handmade for her on their wedding day.

"Take it." He grabbed his daughter's small hand and placed it on her palm.

"It's light! How is it so light?" Gracelia grabbed onto the hilt with one hand and it melded perfectly to her hand, the silver cord wrapped around it following the grooves of her small hand. Pulling it slowly out of the sheath she realized someone made it out of a black material. "What is this?" Hugh chuckled.

"It is pure obsidian my little snowflake. Much stronger than steel but much lighter if crafted correctly." Gracelia eyed the black material that her father called obsidian. "I want you to carry this with you at all times, the good thing about this sheath," He flipped it over to show two leather strips big enough to tie. "It's much easier to hide with it being smaller but it can still cause damage another good thing about is that under a dress you can hide it if tie it around your thigh. My mother used to wear it like that, she never had the need for it since she didn't get out much since she was raising me and my cousin most of the time." He looked at Gracelia's face with pride as she realized she could wear it under her dress.

"Thank you papa! Thank you!" She quickly sheathed the blade and placed it on the table, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You'll show me how to use it won't you? Won't you?!" Hugh nodded, and she hugged him harder, not wanting to let go.

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Gracelia fidgeted in her seat, her plate untouched. She felt uncomfortable with her mother sitting right in front of her slowly eating and casting worried glances at her. Juliana opened her mouth to say something when a voice broke the silence. "My lord, a letter from the imperial palace has arrived!" Hugh placed down his fork when Sir Lee came in, holding it carefully in his hands. He offered it to her father and bowed once Hugh grabbed it.

"What is it Hugh? What is it?" Juliana asked, excited. "Is it a royal summons?"

"Let me open it first my dear." Hugh said with a chuckle, he slowly peeled the wax seal and opened the envelope. Inside was a accede, formally inviting them to the Royal New Year's Ball that the palace has every year. "The Emperor is inviting us to the annual new year's ball this year." Hugh clenched his teeth whereas Juliana screamed in joy.

"Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh! Yes, I am so excited!" Juliana looked at Gracelia with a huge smile. "I can get Gracelia a new dress since we still have two weeks before the ball and I can buy new pins for her hair! What if she catches the crowned prince's eye Hugh? That'll be such an honor to our family! I could call the Empress my sister-in-law!" Hugh rubbed his temples, thinking back to the Emperor saying he wanted Gracelia to marry his son. Gracelia's face drained of color, she'd read that many of the royals were spoiled and snobs who thought them higher that even apologizing was below them. Juliana just smiled throughout the whole meal whereas Hugh and Gracelia ate in silence listening to the woman ramble on and on about patterns and colors that would look amazing on her daughter's milk white skin. Gracelia touched the dagger on her thigh, comforted at the fact were anything to happen, she could protect herself from any unwanted attention.

(Accede means an invitation to a formal event. Votes and comments make me a thrilled girl! If anything confuses you please comment! I'll try to answer them as best I can!)