Successorship Pt 2

This chapter's song is: Who says? by Selena Gomez! That's right, we doing classic songs from the OG Disney!

Sylvia's POV:

The heavens have answered my prayers: The approval letter from the temple has arrived. Now that I've gotten all the procedures out of the way, I can officially address the Peremin succession problem.

As you've probably guessed, I'm riding in the carriage on the way to the Peremin Dukedom. In the carriage with me is Priestess Ima, Rin and Aristella. They're both serving as witnesses to this so no one can say I am being unfair. Priestess Ima has worked with me on many occasions with successorship problems so she understands the gist of what's gonna happen.

Rin decided to go with me to help me fulfil the high ranking noble witness part of the procedure, Aristella is just tagging along.

"I'm so excited for this! Is there going to be hair-pulling?!" Aristella asks excitedly.

"Stella, sit back in your seat, that's dangerous!" Rin scolds her sister, "And I doubt it, the Peremins are high-ranking nobles. They wouldn't stoop to hair-pulling or biting."

"Aww, then why did I come?" Aristella pouts.

"I say it's a good experience for you to learn. You are the daughter of a Grand Duke after all, you never know if you'll ever be given a responsibility like this," I say.

"No way, I'm the second daughter and fourth child of the Grand Duke. I'm all the way at the bottom of the list so I don't need to worry about work, my siblings can take care of it," Aristella says proudly.

I open my mouth to say something, then think about it and nod. Aristella does have it easy.

"Hm... Something isn't right here..." Ima says as she eyes over the documents about the Peremins.

"What is?" I ask.

"There is an abundance of records and reports on everyone in the Peremin household except the second daughter," Ima says.

"I heard it was because she was a weak child," Rin says.

"Well, she certainly doesn't sound weak with what Rosetta has told me," I say as I look out the window.

"Because she's not," Aristella says as she plays with her bear. It was an unusual bear with one side being all white and cute and the other side being black with the smile contorting into a scary grin with jagged teeth.

"What do you mean Stella, what do you know about her?"

"Rosabelle Nythbl Peremin, aged 18, born on the 22nd of April, star sign is Taurus, blood type is 0 positive, that's the official information anyways," Aristella says.

"O-Official information? How do you know all that anyway?" Ima asks.

"That's a secret!" Aristella says in a singsong voice. Before we could further question her, the carriage arrived at the Peremin Dukedom.

Standing there and waiting to greet us was Rosetta, along with a middle-aged woman who was the duchess and a bunch of other people. Mainly servants and relatives of the branch family.

"Miss Sylviana, how pleased we are for you to finally visit us, my name is Ross Ferndel Peremin, the first son of Peremin," a boy with light pink hair greets as he helps me down from the carriage.

"We were anxiously awaiting for your arrival, that child has been scheming to throw us all out of the household and usurp it herself," the duchess cries.

"That's enough. I assume you won't make me wait outside this whole time. I would like to meet with Rosabelle along with this uncle I keep hearing of," I say.

"Right this way my lady. I will escort you to the lounge room," the Peremin butler says. Ima, Rillaine, Aristella and I were all lead to the lounge room where we were served tea (milk for Aristella) and biscuits. Then we waited.

Rosette, Ross and the Duchess were waiting with us and I was eyeing the door. Ten minutes passed and there was still no sight of Rosabelle.

"Is this some sort of joke?" I ask.

"Not at all my lady. It's just that Rosabelle has always been very... disrespectful. I doubt she would even be courteous to come here to greet you," Rosette says.

"Alright, we'll start without her. If she loses this succession then it'll be because of her bad manners," I say as I put my teacup down and look towards Ima, who nods.

"We will now begin the discussion of succession in the Peremin Dukedom. The date is the 15th of July, at 5:16 pm. This discussion will be about who will inherit the Dukedom and all of its assets, mediated by the crown princess, Sylviana de Crystal Scilla. Witnesses are the two daughters of the Grand Duke Kagamine, Rillaine Listeria Shuya Kagamine and Aristella Feyelle Kagamine. Documentation is being filled out by Priestess Ima. Everything said in this room will be written down as evidence. You may now begin," Ima says.

"My lady, Rosabelle is desperately scheming to expel us from the household, she and her uncle are forcing us into a corner," the Duchess says.

"I see, and how has she been doing this?" I ask.

"It started small with taking a few of my things which I allowed since we're sisters, but then she threw me out of my room. Her uncle, Margrave Bellweather is twisting her mind to turn against us!" Rosette says.

"I see... Elaborate of Margrave Bellweather," I say as I sip my tea.

"He is a crude man, he is only helping Rosabelle so he can take the Dukedom from her. My sister was always very naive so she may not be able to see it but it's all clear as day," Ross says.

"Mhmm..." The discussion went on for another few minutes before I got restless. "Ima, let's take a quick break. I wish to look around the Dukedom for further investigation," I say.

Ima nodded, "We will not take a brief intermission. You may use the bathroom if you'd like or simply stretch your legs. Everyone Is to meet us here within ten minutes. Intermission starts now."

"Finally! Rin! I gotta go!" Aristella whines.

"Okay, let's go," Rin says as picks up Aristella and looks towards Ross. "Can you please show me towards the powder room please?"

"Of course my lady," Ross says as he begins to escort Rin and Aristella. I get up too and excuse myself before walking around the house. It was a big house and fit to be called the house of a Duke's family. I questioned some workers but they said the same words along the lines of what Rosetta has said.

I continued to walk around and found myself lost. This part of the house was drab and dreary. It looked very different from the rest of the house.

I continued to walk on until I saw a room. Like anyone who was lost in a big house, I opened it to take a peek inside. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary. It just looked like an abandoned room with dust piling up everywhere and ratty old clothes were hanging. It was also cold, with no heating anywhere except an ancient fireplace.

"What are you doing?" I turn around to see a girl with deep pink hair and eyes glaring at me.

"I got lost. Do you mind escorting me back to the lounge room... Rosabelle."

"No, get out of there," she says as she shuts the door in front of me.

"How rude," I say.

"Humph, lemme guess. You're another one of Rosette's friends. There's nothing to see here so leave," she says again.

"I am about as much of friends with Rosetta as you are with manners," I say. "My name is Sylviana de Crystal Scilla. I am here to sort out the succession business," I say. With that introduction, Rosabelle stepped back before muttering to herself.

"Damn pests were lying to me," she mutters.

"I beg your pardon," I raise a brow.

"Nothing. I'm terribly sorry my lady, I didn't recognise you."

"I doubt you could have, seeing as you have never attended any balls or junctions," I say.

"That was due to-"

"A chronic illness or so they say. I'd rather continue this talk in the lounge room where the rest of your family are, don't you think so too?"

"Heh, family..."

"Hm?"

"Nothing, please follow me." Rosabelle led me towards the lounge room. When we finally got there, the others were waiting.

"Pardon my tardiness," I say. The Duchess faces me and gasps.

"Rosabelle, what are you doing here?"

"Why? Am I not supposed to be here?" She asks.

"No, you are. Mother is just confused," Ross steps in as he tells the duchess to sit down.

"Alright, let's continue. Now that Rosabelle is here, I can hear her side of the story," I say as I walk towards my seat. "Ima, you can start writing again."

"Ten-minute intermission is over. Please take a seat everyone, Miss Sylviana will continue the discussion," Ima says.

"From what I've heard, Rosabelle Nythbl Peremin has been trying to push Rosetta Daren Peremin into an unwanted marriage. Is this true Rosabelle?" I ask.

"What do you mean I'm pushing her into an unwanted marriage?! She's the one who wishes to marry," Rosabelle says.

"That is-"

"Quiet. So who is this mystery man?" I ask, looking towards Rosetta for an answer.

"He is the son of Viscount Tewper..." She replies. I halt my movements. Viscount Tewper... as in the guy whose father sired an illegitimate child and didn't take responsibility?! The guy who had me running around trying to fix his problem for six months?!

"I...see... Have you written that down?" I ask Ima.

"It's all done in ink," she replies.

"Okay, now continue what you were about to say, Rosetta."

"I do not wish to marry Nigel, he was originally my sister's fiance-"

"Don't you dare call me your sister!" Rosabelle threatens.

"How dare you speak to Rosetta like that!" Ross yells.

"What are you going to do about it? Go back to the brothel where you spend most of your time!"

"This insolent child!" The Duchess shrieks.

"Enough!" I scream, everyone stopping what they were doing and looking at me. "Sit down and stop behaving like a bunch of untamed animals! I was asking Rosetta a question so everyone else needs to zip it!"

My outburst clearly snapped them all back to reality as they started sitting down again.

"Aww, and they ere so close to hair-pulling..." Aristella grumbles.

"Now, continue Rosetta," I say finally.

"Y-yes my lady... Nigel was originally Rosabelle's fiance... However, Nigel kept pushing to be with me and I tried so hard to distance myself from him..." She started tearing up. "And my sister was so jealous of me that she started tormenting me and she even wanted me to marry Nigel so she could flirt with the son of Duke Caltios!" Rosetta says.

"That is so not true!" Rosabelle says.

"Oh really, then what's your side of it?" I ask.

"Yes Nigel was my fiance originally, but Rosetta decided to shamelessly flirt with him. She always wore revealing clothes and even went on walks with him late in the night. I don't want such a cheating fiance so I gave him to her. She's already ruined her reputation so she'll never find another man if she doesn't marry him," Rosabelle says.

"How dare you! My sister has never done anything with Nigel Tewper! You're just trying to ruin her life! My lady, please sort this matter out! I should be the next heir since I'm a male. Not her," Ross says.

"I am the true heir, my appearance says it all," she says.

The bickering went on again.

"I must say, I've noticed how loose your clothes are Rosetta," I say.

"Y-yes, it's quite hot," Rosetta stammers.

"Humph, it's probably because you're getting fat!" Rosabelle sneers. All of a sudden, the Duchess got up and slapped Rosabelle.

"How dare you... You insolent wretch!" She shrieks. Rosabelle didn't take it and started pulling on the Duchess' hair.

"Don't you dare slap me you old hag!" She screams. Ross and Rosetta joined in and was trying to pry Rosabelle's fingers from their mother's hair.

"Yay, hair-pulling!" Aristella beams. Suddenly a ripping sound was heard. Rosabelle fell backwards, her hand holding a clump of greying hair. I look towards the Duchess and gasped. Her head now had a bald spot the size of a tennis ball.

"AH! My hair!" The Duchess screams as she looks into the mirror and runs out.

"Mother!" Rosetta screams as she runs after her, followed by Ross and then Rosabelle.

I was just shocked at the whole scene. They do realise that they did this while being watched?

"It's been four hours now and we still haven't gotten to the end of this," Rin sighs.

"Most of the documents are filled with their fights," Ima says as she shows me the stack of paper.

"It seems that it is late. I have prepared rooms for you to stay the night," The Peremin butler says. I forgot he was even in the room.

"Well, let's continue this in the morning. I've had enough hair-pulling for one day," I say as I get up.

"Who knew the Peremin Dukedom fell so low when it came to manners," Rin says as she picks up Aristella. We were walking down a hallway, led by the butler. He presented us each with a guestroom before shutting the door and leaving.

I sigh as I collapse onto the bed. That whole thing was pointless. Oh well, guess we'll try again tomorrow...