Human psychology class had been cancelled for the day and instead assigned them the task of viewing their partner's first day in the Spell Theory Lab. The point of the exercise was observation and evaluation; learn to identify when your mage was struggling or insecure so a vampire could smooth over any potential problems before they festered. Watching mages learn to separate an instinctive part of themselves would present an opportunity to note the physical tells of their frustrations without the distraction of serving.
Each Spell Theory Lab boasted a viewing area as comfortable as Affinity Mastery's, several full couches a step above a row of chairs and side tables that lined the edge. Unlike the other, this viewing area was set back into the wall rather than protruding out over it and a glass pane separated the vampires from the mages. Most of the class had filed in by now. Most of the vampires took the couches, more interested in themselves than their mages as they discussed the various rumors flying around about the recent murders. A few sat at the edge, watching with interest as the mages made their attempts.
Varis ignored the rabble on the couches as he took his spot as close to the boy as he could. Any opportunity to personally oversee his mage's progress at such a critical stage would be well used. The boy had shown he could barely keep himself in order, especially after that nonsense during Revel, and Varis wanted to ensure the boy remembered his place through this process. Anything less and Varis would be waiting with a lecture and lines longer than the mage knew existed.
The Sinnenodel colors suited the boy far more than the pesky Noilan colors, though Varis noted he stuck close to his comfort zone despite the magazines he left in the boy's room. He'll get up at the same time as the boy tomorrow and set a few new grooming standards. Varis appreciated sticking to simplicity but one had to know how to change when it was necessary. The boy clearly struggled with that so Varis would instill some sense into him before the end of this school year. "I buy him an entirely new wardrobe and he doesn't bother to use it. What a disappointment." Varis sighed to himself.
Meanwhile, Benjamin had been positively ecstatic upon learning the class would get an observation period. The surprising amount of vampires that chose to gossip and take no interest in their mage's progress was astounding. What was the point of coming to the observatory if you weren't going to observe? The leap in logic was beyond him, albeit the one advantage was that there were plenty of free seats closest to the action. He was all too happy to approach the glass, his search for his mage overwhelmingly simple (the one advantage of her having such hair, he supposed). He kept an eye on her location as he searched for a place to sit.
A flash of red caught his eye to his left. Count Varis Sinnenodel had also taken the opportunity to observe his mage as well. That must have meant Aaron Starag was also in this class. With that in mind, he took a quick look around the classroom, but it took him slightly longer than it should have to realize that Aaron was the blonde man sitting next to Lilie. The timing couldn't have been more perfect, the setup granting him yet another chance he hadn't been expecting. All that was left to do was pass it off as casually as possible. He truly did have every intention in owning up to his word and keeping peace between the houses, however, any interaction with a Sinnenodel had a tendency to go awry. If he slipped up, he was certain he would find himself trapped in the snake's clutches. Fortunately, Ben felt confident in his ability to keep a conversation cordial. In the worst case scenario, the mages could be the topic of conversation.
With that in mind, Ben decided to approach the table respectfully, clearing his throat to catch the other country's attention. "How comforting to know I won't be observing alone," He decided to be as pleasant and casual as possible, extending his hand. "Count Benjamin Eve, how do you do?"
Varis turned his head at the unexpected noise, quite ready to chastise whoever insisted on bothering him at an important time, but he held his tongue as he took in the newest Eve. Morose was the first word that came to mind but his pleasant approach shrugged off the initial impression. Though, the conflicting personality would suit the house. Maybe it would keep one of them here longer than a fortnight. Varis considered brushing him off until he proved that he would be staying―after all, what use could a single conversation do when you didn’t know who our opponent was―but it left as soon as it came and Varis stood with a smile, shaking the offered hand.
“Count Varis Sinnenodel. Well enough, thank you. I’m glad someone appreciates an opportunity to invest time and effort into a blossoming asset. A flower is only as beautiful as it’s gardener’s effort after all.” Varis gestured to the seat next to him, retaking his own. “Please take a seat. Which mage is yours?”
Ben would do as Varis asked with cautious optimism. That optimism would come crashing down as soon as he asked a very reasonable question. He cleared his throat and gestured to the table where Aaron and Lilie sat. "I believe the mage that I was assigned is the one seated next to the blond dressed in black," He said as he tapped the table with the tips of his fingers, neglecting to refer to the glaringly obvious fault. Perhaps that was a little cold, but it was the truth. "It would seem in her generosity Princess Ryner thought it best to give a lower class mage an opportunity to taste life on the other side."
The honest reply was surprising. Considering how late into the semester was, it was clear Varis was aware of who his mage was. He didn’t doubt every noble mocked the house for suffering a clear sign of the Princess’ displeasure. He certainly did. In his shoes, Varis would have redirected the conversation rather than admit such a clear sign of disrespect. But the eves were always an odd lot. Varis would give him the benefit of the doubt this time. Hopefully, there was a more interesting strategy here.
“The Princess is known for her generosity. Far be it from us to question her wisdom. I don’t doubt that there is some deeper meaning to this sorting system she has. I don’t envy her. It is a momentous task, I’m sure.” Varis responded, turning his attention back to the boy and the Eve’s genetic mistake. “Incidentally, that blond headed boy is my mage. Aaron Starag of the Princess’ personal retinue. It caused quite a stir when it got around that she’d given a Starag away, much less to a Sinnenodel. However, it seems his name is all he’s worth. Obedient, a vaulted pedigree, and a light mage but he can’t think for himself. The curse of vampirism, forever guiding the sheep in an endless cycle.” Varis sighed in disappointment.
“How is your mage adjusting? It has been a hectic few weeks for it.” Varis asked.
The deeper meaning of nobility was usually simply reduced to passive aggressive remarks on actual opinions. The message was sent loud and clear: the royal family greatly preferred the Sinnenodel House while clearly outlining their poor opinion of the Eve House. There could be more to it, but Ben wasn't going to entertain it nor would he linger. Instead, he wanted to make it clear that he viewed this as a challenge—he had the utmost confidence that he would turn Lilie into a proper mage.
“I see this as a test,” Ben outright admitted. “The previous Eves have all but neglected Miss Dionne, and while I can’t speak for their intentions, I feel they didn’t see the chance in front of them. Aside from the obvious, the girl is a blank slate otherwise, free to be molded and to become whatever I want her to be.”
He didn’t buy that the Starag had any issue, especially when the complaint was that he couldn’t think for himself. The goal of every mage was to think for their betters, after all. “Shepherding a mage of Mr. Starag’s pedigree will likely be little more than some minor adjustments, I’m sure,” Ben said.
“There are few Houses that a minor issue can’t cost a mage, and his vampire, everything. Neither of ours are at the very least. A Sinnenodel cannot manage their mage’s every movement like a Noila. Structure is little more than an illusion meant to subjugate. If a mage wants to succeed here, the faster on their feet, the better. I am not the greatest monster in my house and he is far too close to it for mistakes.” Varis responded seriously. His Lady had already seen inside his head. Even Varis couldn’t fathom want insignificant detail she picked out and decided to poke at and, something he would deny for all of eternity, it made him nervous. It was a necessary gamble and it seemed it paid off but there was a reason he didn’t bring mages to see his Lady.
“It’s commendable you plan to put all this time into your mage. Surely molding her appropriately will take a considerable amount of attention and patience. Speaking of which, I’m glad you are handling this slate appropriately. It’s far too pale for common decency. Too much chalk from the others I assume.” Varis shook his head. “But where do you plan to find this time? I barely have enough time as it is to ensure the boy can put his shirt on properly, let alone teach him manners. With teaching and planning Chaend and a business acquisition in the process, I can’t imagine the strain on your schedule this challenge will place on you.
Varis was entirely right, but Ben was still confident. The pun nearly made Ben laugh out loud, but he did offer a polite chuckle. He pondered his response for a few seconds, choosing his words carefully. “I see now. You can’t teach a thought process, so I suppose you have your work cut out for you,” That much he would agree with and understand, as Lady Sinnenodel’s character was infamous. Unpreparedness was as much a death sentence as standing out in plain sunlight was.
As for his plans for Lilie, that hadn’t been entirely thought out just yet. There were a few possibilities lingering around that he had spoken of with Geoffrey, but he had yet to decide. Waiting for any proposals was out of the question and Eleanore already served as his primary guard. Fortunately, he still had time to decide on exactly what he was going to do with her.
“There is always the late morning when most stop responding to calls. Whenever the case may be, it will be her priority until she is to my standards—everything else comes second,” Ben said. “I will delegate a set time every day for the rest of the semester and whenever I feel she is improving I can and will adjust accordingly. I’ve already delegated where I can, so some of that burden has shifted since coming here. If the house can’t run while I’m gone, then clearly, I’ve failed. Fortunately, Miss Dionne is not the first mage I’ve trained, so I expect her to learn quickly.” And if not, they would have to cross that bridge when they came to it.
Varis generously gave Ben a few moment seconds to speak but it seemed the conversation continued on without so much as an attempt to pick something out. No jabs, no comments, not even an underhanded question. Either Count Benjamin didn’t care or he was just wholeheartedly devoted to the failure of a mage. Either way, Varis boiled this Eve down to the same thing every other Eve had been: Boring. He turned his attention away from the Eve and considered how he wanted to continue. Varis wasn’t certain the new Eve even had anything worth his time so he could completely ignore him at this point but on the other hand, he didn’t know anything about him and that annoyed him more than the bland responses did.
“Admirable. Dedication to one task is a rare trait these days. Though, some may argue it's because it's no longer suited to its environment.” Varis commented as he relaxed in his chair, his attention shifting back downstairs. “Forgive me my ignorance but I don’t think we’ve had the opportunity to meet before this. Where do you fall in House Eve?”
The alternative was marrying off the mage and as tempting as it was, realistically it was not something that Ben could get away with. Ben followed Varis’ gaze, only to feel the shame hitting him once again when he laid eyes on that white head. The conversation wasn’t particularly going anywhere, but he wasn’t entirely sure which way to steer it. Speaking with a Sinnenodel was more about survivability than anything, but Varis was tame. At the moment, anyway. He supposed that his father was right.
That thought alone nearly made him want to retch and he nearly missed the question. “My family is the fourth oldest bloodline of the Eves,” He said, running a hand over his face. “And my father is Pierce Devan.” Of whom he would have preferred not to think or speak about, but here they were. His mood was soured, but he couldn’t tell if it was due to his father or the visible reminder of being shot in the kneecap with that mage of his.
In an effort to save his mood and keep from speaking on his father, he decided to change the topic, “I’ve heard you aren’t the only heir attending. The Marivaldi Countess must be an interesting mystery to unravel.”
“The Marivaldi heiress, if you can still consider her one, is as lackadaisical as her lack of public appearances have painted her. Absolutely plain and little in the way of wit. I believe it’s the abhorrent obsession with mage rights. They have more than they’ve had in centuries and they still dally with the help. Their holiday is representative enough.” Varis hand-waved the thought of Amaris away. “I’m far more interested in the son of Pierce Devan. With a power vacuum to fill, I’m more surprised with how much energy you’re willing to redirect to the charity case you were given.” Varis’ knowledge of Benjamin’s father was lacking. Bending the Eve’s had fallen squarely on the shoulders of his Lady and even Varis wasn’t foolish enough to trespass in her territory. He knew those Lady Sinnendodel funded and passingly of the other players but his focus was on other projects. But Ben presented an opportunity he couldn’t resist.
“I doubt there is love lost between your father and yourself considering your easy dismissal of the subject. How do you feel about the situation the Eve household is in? Openings are so rare in our society. I can’t imagine you’ll ignore it.” Varis sat forward as he spoke, resting his chin on his hand. He lowered his voice as well to try and keep the conversation somewhat private.
Varis had no information on the countess, either. Either he was as useless as Lilie on that account or Ben would just have to see for himself. But he couldn't think too much on that as instead he chose to focus on a subject that Ben was not too happy to talk on: his father. Fortunately, he was well aware that this was an inevitability that he was more than prepared for. If there was ever a time to make his goals clear, it was now.
"If multitasking between duties and training a mage is beyond a vampire’s reach, then they don’t deserve the title of count. My father would wholeheartedly agree," Ben said. He would not elaborate on the barely-there relationship between himself and his father anymore than that. This wasn’t new to anyone who was familiar with his family’s dynamics. Perhaps Varis was fishing for information. He was looking at the wrong person for that, but he supposed it is what it is.
That said, it was his chance to make a statement. "As for the current power vacuum, the solution is simple: I have every intention of taking the role of Lord for myself, of course."
Varis leaned back, adjusting his gloves absently, and cast an appraising look over Ben. What ambition. Clearly not quite cut from the same cloth as his weakling house but ambition was the trait of the bold and the stupid in equal measure. He still hadn’t settled on which this Eve was but he was still favoring the latter. “Lord of the Eves. A lofty goal, an admirable goal. But how do you plan to accomplish that? Dracul’s passing put your father in a stronger position than ever. You’d have to climb over him to get to it at this point. Not that I intend to discourage you from cannibalizing your familial relations for power but I don’t see that type of desperation in you, Count Benjamin. Where do you plan to begin?”
Ben suppressed the chuckle coming from him. He wasn’t about to show his hand to a Sinnenodel, especially when nothing was guaranteed. He was, after all, still working on getting other support, but he supposed that Varis wondered where his confidence was coming from. “There are things I would like to change, and to make that change, I need power. What better power than the seat of the Lord? Although, if it comes off as desperation, I’ll keep that in mind,” He briefly mused as he sat back in his seat. “I’m currently looking for influence outside of my father’s circle, and after seeking council from other, older vampires, I think I’ll have what I need to take the needed steps forward.”
He remained confident, but he supposed now was as good a time as ever to keep his word. “Her Highness has her reasons for choosing us as our houses’ representatives. I feel she sees something in each of us, whether it be ambition, drive, power...and as such, I think it would be to our mutual benefit to have a positive relationship while attending the academy. Maintain the peace and what have you.”
“Her Highness pulls families apart with a poorly guised demand. I’m not naive enough to believe she’s choosing us for her Academy’s reputation or to foster whatever ambiguous talents she sees in us. She’s calculating in her choices and that’s why our Queen is as lenient with this place as she is. Look at her choices from the Houses. From the Marivaldis, she summons the last heiress of the previous Lord despite the rumors suggesting she has plans to overthrow Salazar. It isn’t a stretch of the imagination Ryner is showing her support for the vampiress and is setting up a direct conflict in the public eye between the two Houses. From the Sinnenodels, she takes the favorite of Lady Sinnenodel herself. While we are colleagues on Council matters, this puts a key opponent to many of her propositions under her direct authority. Coupled with a position that already drives vampires to bask in the sunlight, Her Highness can effectively stall my ability to intervene in any of her plans while also attempting to usher me out of my position that much faster.” Varis commented, ticking the families on his fingers as he spoke. “From the Eve’s, she specifically took the children of the two most powerful Traditionalist factions. With the recent passing of Count Dracul, your father is in the prime position to combine the two and remove the modernists’ favorite from power. How interesting that she called you after a long line of others. Normally, I’d argue choosing you was intended to foster your House’s instability but doing nothing would achieve that faster.” Varis tapped on the table next to them as he spoke.
“And then of course, there is the low born Astorio. An odd choice considering the pedigrees of her other Noble representatives. I was admittedly confused about the decision, how the juxtaposition of breeding made the Astorios look, until I had a conversation with the vampire. A headhunter for the Council. And with no one else on the Council in the immediate vicinity, the Princess has direct authority over him.” Varis chuckled darkly. “Right next door to the three potential heirs. Funny how it all works out, hm? Ryner is several hundred years old. She preaches tolerance and peace but she’s as ruthless as her sister.” And didn’t Varis know that. Although, he begrudgingly admitted it worked in their favor. Getting the up and coming son of the Traditionalist faction in the Eves under their thumb was brilliant and he hated her for it.
“The Sinnenodels find positive relationships are built on reciprocation and frankly Count Benjamin, I’m not entirely sure what you have to offer me in return. I find it strange that although I know your father’s status, I was unaware of you. Curious. Most advertise their progeny with pride.” Varis considered his options. Clearly, Count Benjamin was going somewhere. That much was clear. But Varis wasn’t sure where he was falling just yet and he was hesitant to make investments into a vampire he’d barely met. If he truly was aiming for the Lordship, he was in the perfect position to take it. Just a twist of the knife in a few spots and he’d be sitting at the Council in no time. It piqued his curiosity enough to move forward. He’d add this to Malek’s task list later tonight. “Now that being said, your plain ambition has caught my attention. So I propose a gathering of the nobles here at the Academy. I’ll arrange the affair, list you as the guest of honor, start a few positive comments among the mages at the Academy, really set the foundation for these positive relations you spoke of. I imagine it’d be easier if the nobles prime council were favorable towards you and who better to act as your foil than the conniving Count Sinnenodel.”
The anonymity worked in his favor once again. Ben would never admit that there was a reason his father never mentioned him, but to be frank, for once he could say that it was for the best. That could be easily waved away by any number of excuses, but instead he was cautious about the offer presented to him. Perhaps he had been too naive to think that simply coexisting without issue was too much to ask. At this point in time there was little that Ben could offer in return and the idea of owing a Sinnenodel was dangerous. He had one or two things he could possibly offer in return but nothing concrete. He would have to take a gamble and see what would happen.
Ben ended up agreeing with Varis, leaning forward casually in his seat. "You're right. And for that, I do have something to offer in return," He kept his voice low before he continued, "I have it under good authority that there is a myriad of assassination attempts in your house—as I'm sure that much is commonplace among nobility, but what sets this set apart are the targets. Mainly those of the eldest bloodlines." He made sure to pay careful attention to the count's response.
"Assassinations against the eldest bloodlines?" Varis murmured thoughtfully. It was halfway through his career. It was only a matter of time before his rivals took aim but he doubted anyone would start with assassination attempts this early. Which left one exhausting cultript. She couldn't wait another decade or two before she started getting bored with them? He’d need to double down on the boy’s affinity practice and swordplay. “Is that all? Some baseless rumors someone, somewhere, at sometime will try and assassinate us? The list of enemies we have as a House would rival some of the longest pieces of literature known to vampire kind. Is there more to this like some sort of dramatic pause because from where I stand, I’m setting you up for a bright future and only getting vague warnings in response.” Varis resisted the urge to pull out his phone and review the update security features Malek forwarded to him.
Ben thought that was a rather disinterested response all things considered. He did, however, recall his father's information on the Sinnenodel heir. Varis was either a talented actor or a fool, and Ben wasn't going to assume the latter just yet. However, he had yet to fully convince him. That much was fair at least, he would need to get the information from the duchess.
"As a gesture of goodwill and proof of my intentions I will get you specifics—I can assure you that I received that information on good authority and can get more in a relatively short amount of time," Ben promised.
“Normally, I don’t take promises as a reasonable exchange but I’ll make an exception for a beneficial future.” Varis agreed after a few minutes of consideration and took out his phone, pulling up his calendar. “We’ll have a midnight blood tasting. I recommend your mage prepare a demonstration of a skill; the other nobles are sure to be interested in someone worthy of Ryner’s generosity.”
“Now, for invitations. They’ll go out in a few days but considering our lack of familiarity, what title would you prefer on them? I doubt Count Benjamin Pierce of House Eve is enough to do the son of Devon Pierce justice.” Varis asked.
Ben wasn’t entirely sure how to feel, albeit despite supposedly being the one to benefit he couldn’t help but feel that he had somehow lost. At the very least nothing of value was taken, with one foot in the door he could make his own impression to the other nobles. He would have to contact Duchess Perez at the first chance he could to recall exactly what it was that she had told him. As for the demonstration, he sincerely believed it to be a good idea; he hadn’t the slightest clue what his mage was capable of now that he thought about it.
He did, however, give Varis a pointed look with the arrival of his question. “That will do just fine,” He stated plainly. “Should it change, I’m certain it would be known to all.”
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