Akashic Arcana NULL

Aer Shiana

Aer Shiana

Active Member
The first week of Artoria's stay at Arcadia had been hectic and busy, to say the least. And today would be no different. Walking through the hallways of the Student Council building again, though with a different destination in mind, the young princess was off to see the Commander of the Disciplinary Division; Prince Christian Van Orange-Nassau.

She was nervous about the visit, hoping that her young age wouldn't be a strike against her in applying for the DD, and also she wasn't entirely sure how to address him or behave. This would be the first time she would directly approach a royal that she wasn't already close with. The mahogany door before her seemed to loom over her. Several times Artoria would hesitate.. before finally knocking lightly.
 
The knock; it effectively pulled Christian out of his daydreams; his mind struggling to pull every piece of his still-dressing mind back together. He slowly pulled his gaze from his desk and redirected it towards the door, saying;

“It’s open; come-in!”

He then blushed; glancing around if no-one noticed it. Meanwhile he felt hoe his blood rushed to his cheeks; after all, there was no-one there but himself.
 
The door slowly opened upon Christian's calling out to his visitor. Artoria peeked out from behind, and awkwardly made her way in, giving the Commander a small curtsy as a greeting. It would be rather apparent that she was uncomfortable. Shyness?

Unless prompted by Christian to answer a question, a long silence would ensue before she stammered out. "U-um, I wanted to.. to apply for th-the Disciplinary D-Division." Another long pause. "I-If that's okay.."
 
The appearance of princess Artoria of Britannia, along with the small curtsy caused a wide, sweet smile to appear on Christian’s face.

“A pleasure, as always; your royal highness.” He said; bowing his head in respect for the young royal. After the girl said that she wanted to apply for the Disciplinary Division, his smile broadened as he spoke; “Ofcourse it’s okay. Please, take a seat.” He pointed at the chair in front of his desk. “Would you like something to drink?”
 
Artoria took her seat before the desk as bid. Her movements were stiff and formal, as though afraid of acting improperly. "Yes, please. Some tea would be lovely." While Christian prepared her drink, the young princess looked around the room, taking in the regal look of the place. Still as nervous as ever, she smoothed out her blouse and skirt. Unless the Prince of Orange spoke, there would be a long silence other than the sounds of the tea pouring.

She would eventually try to break the ice with a question. "U-um, are.. are there any tests for me to.. to go through? I'll be honest, I.. I don't exactly know what to expect."
 
Christian had made the tea whilst Artoria had remained silent.

At the question of her needing to do test, Christian merely laughed; “Well, i have one test really. But first, i’d like to get to know you a bit better. The last time we properly met eachother was years ago, at court.”

He walked towards Artoria, put the tea down in front of her on his desk and then processed to sit down in his own chair.

“So, would you please be so kind to tell my why you want to join the Disciplinary Division? And please, relax and be yourself. We’re not at court.” He smiled a genuine smile as he spoke and his eyes were twinkling joyously...
 
"Uh, yes, of course." Artoria nodded in acknowledgement of Christian's social bidding. "It has been a while, hasn't it?" She relaxed slightly at the Prince's request, and took the teacup placed before her. She took a sip, smiling at its sweet flavor.

Shifting in her seat slightly, the Princess thought for a moment. She wasn't entirely sure why, she just felt compelled to do so. "Uh, I suppose there are a couple reasons. I figured with my high combat rating, I could.. well.. protect others, if need be? And perhaps the experience could help me get stronger.. in more ways than one."
 
“Yes! It feels like it has been ages ago! D-Do you miss court?” He asked; his blue eyes focussed on Artoria’s; hoping she enjoys the tea.

“In more ways than one? Care to elaborate?” Christian asked; supporting his head with a hand.
 
"Honestly, not really." Artoria looked to the side, averting Christian's gaze when she admitted so. Then she suddenly shot back towards him, blurting out "N-not that I didn't like seeing you, it's just that.. uh.. I'm just not much into the whole.. formalities and facades that are so commonplace. You know what I mean?" She took a large gulp of tea to calm herself, then explained herself.

"For reasons I'm just simply not allowed to divulge to others, I need to strengthen myself physically and mentally by a great amount.. by an unknown deadline." Artoria's expression turned downcast as her thoughts faded to the state of her father, one that was kept secret from the world. Her mind lingered on the exceedingly high expectations set before her. "However, I feel like my time with the Division would help with this, while honing my skills in several areas, depending on the situations I'm put in." She looked down towards the ground, her bangs concealing her face from Christian's line of sight. "I-I know it sounds selfish of me, but I truly do believe in protecting others, and I understand the risks involved."
 
"A-About that..." Christian started; referring to the accident with the dying ghost at the first day of school. "I wanted to apologize for my... careless behaviour at the start of the year."

He blushed slightly; more akin to how Artoria would probably remember him from when they still actively saw eachother at court. His expression softened, as he continued; "I really am sorry. It was not meant to act in such a terrorizing way." He bowed his head in respect of the young crown princes and heir to Britannia's throne.

Suddenly snapping out of it, he asked; "So, you claim to know the risks involved? And what would those risk be, exactly?" His tone was inquisitive but gentle; more curious rather than official...
 
Artoria blinked at the sudden apology, tilting her head slightly. Then she remembered what he was speaking of, and couldn't help but smile. "Oh, that. There's nothing to be afraid about. I let my curiosity get the better of me. Hardly your fault, right? And what happened, happened. It's in the past."

"W-well, the risks that would come with any role of protection or security, obviously.." Artoria didn't want to outright state it, knowing that it wasn't the best idea for the sole heir to Britannia's throne. She sheepishly scratched her cheek with a finger. "You know, getting hurt.. or worse.."
 
Christian sighed audibly; happy Artoria would forgive him so easily - and quickly. His eyes went through the room untill she stated how she could get hurt or worse; at that moment they were focussed on Artoria's.

"You do realize that those risks are pretty real, right? I mean, i can't be responsible for the death of Britannia's only heir." He then remained silent for a small while, before breathing in and asking Artoria; "What would be the perfect job for you, given your skillsets?"
 
"Of course I do! And what kind of ruler would I be if I hid myself away, worrying more about my own safety than others'?" Artoria didn't realize that, in her passion, she had risen from her seat, looking rather intense despite her tiny stature. Then she seemed to come to her senses, and sat back down, her face turning red from embarrassment. A small "Sorry.." would be heard, barely audible.

"A-anyway, you know what I can do, isn't it up to you what role I have?"
 
Christian waved the apology away, saying; "There is no need to apologize. What you just said is ever so true and the fact you did say it, and evidently mean it, makes me believe you'll be a good one." He then chuckled at her smart comment, saying; "Ofcourse it'll be up to me. However, it would be a shame to give you a job you hate - and quite frankly, it'll impact your effectiveness." He then chuckled; straightening his clothing. "I'd like to know what you like to do and what you're good at, in order to see how we can adapt that into the Division."

"So please, do tell me."
 
At this remark, Artoria raised an eyebrow. "Well, I don't exactly know what all the DD does, but whatever role gets me into combat or being able to protect people from bad guys... I guess." She found this kind of question quite odd, given the fact that she hadn't even yet shown she was fit for the Disciplinary Division in the first place. Even so, she was determined to prove her worth, whatever it took. "You've probably already looked at my records, watched my fight during the entrance exam, but if you need to see more of what I can do, I'm more than happy to show you."
 
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