Perseus XXVII.

Hohenfels – Chapter 44

The garden pavilion next to Schwarzwald Hall was a surprisingly cozy and secluded place, though perhaps Arne should have expected as much. If there was one thing House Tannburg was known for, it was hosting high profile meetings and negotiations that required a veneer of neutrality and a delicate...

Hohenfels – Chapter 43

…third generation of students, ten years… communing with spirits of the land, Gods of Eld… Mandrake shavings and thornapple leaves… Lord of Storm and Thunder…

Arne compared the notes he wrote down from memory with the contents of his diary, growing increasingly concerned....

Hohenfels – Chapter 42

Heinrich von Eisenberg-Launow, Housemaster of Eisengrund Hall, sat in his office, face buried in his hands. After a few moments of silent despair, he asked the obstinate Princess across the desk a singular question. “Why?”

Klara stared at the desk, her expression fluctuating between sha...

Hohenfels – Chapter 41

Jerzy Nowak was beyond elated. Not only was his favorite student much more receptive than he had dared hope for – no, said student had also inadvertently proven a theory Jerzy had developed over the course of two long decades.

The old ways were still alive among the Eastern nobility.

Hohenfels – Chapter 40

The distant bells of Halden’s cathedral rang through the air as Arne made his way to Professor Nowak’s office. Sunday mornings were the optimal time for heathen lessons, as the entirety of the catholic student body left for the city, and a good chunk of the protestants was sequestered away in...

Hohenfels – Chapter 39

Katharina fought down the growing urge to flop into her bed and nurse her wounds as she made her way through the library. She had agreed to meet Prince Arnold, after all – and she had a lot to report.

When she finally reached the niche, she found the Prince staring at the wall with a dark...

Hohenfels – Chapter 38

‘What have I done to deserve this?’

Katharina felt like the world was conspiring against her. First, the opportunistic Tannburg princess toppled one of her most promising plans with an offhand comment, and now this.

One does not simply ‘refuse to play’. That ...

I'm back online once more!

Finally. My idea of using the neighbors' WiFi did not work out thanks to the layout of the building, but today, my ISP finally sent a technician.

My internet is still... not good, but at least it works. Mostly.

I'll upload the Monday and Wednesday chapters in the nex...

Internet is dead

As the title says – My internet has been gone since Sunday morning (thank you, Telekom). Mobile coverage is atrocious if you venture even slightly into the rural areas of Germany, so that is not much of an alternative either. Currently writing this on fucking GPRS... Welcome back to 20...

Hohenfels – Chapter 37

Friedrich stared into his cousin’s eyes, unable to smother the defiance bubbling in his chest.

“You know she started it, damn it! You were there!” he grumbled.

But Arnold remained unreasonable despite the spark of sympathy Friedrich saw in his eyes, which ...

I'm back online!

Hey everyone!

I finally have internet at my new place. Still very exhausted from hauling all my stuff up to the fourth floor, so I won't get anything done tonight. There will be a chapter tomorrow, though.

And now I'll hit the hay. See you tomorrow! o7

– Perseus

Hohenfels – Chapter 36

“I see you have taken steps to… consolidate your reputation, ‘dearest cousin’,” Matthias said with no small amount of venom. Annoyance. Exasperation.

“I found myself in a rather unfortunate position thanks to an unexpected duel, ‘dearest cousin’,” Arne replied in ...

Delay and unfortunate announcement

Hey everyone!

As you probably noticed, I haven't been able to complete the Friday chapter yet. I'm moving to another city next week, and I just didn't have enough time to concentrate on writing, thanks to all the annoying stuff I need to take care of.

Since I doubt I'll get much done ...

Hohenfels – Chapter 35

Jerzy Nowak paced around his office excitedly, mentally planning out lessons for the young Prince who might very well become his much-needed benefactor in the future.

Teaching heresy to young nobles was neither particularly safe nor enjoyable, but it was necessary. Taking apprentices from a...

Hohenfels – Chapter 34

Arne felt Katharina’s irritation slowly morph into apprehension and distress. Even their two fellow students were nervously shifting in their seats.

“...You’re a sorcerer,” she finally said. It was not a question, but a statement.

Professor Nowak smirked. “Not wrong, but not...

Hohenfels – Chapter 33

“He did what…?”

Matthias had just arrived at his private dining table to have a peaceful breakfast after a very hectic week. Instead, his friend and aide Clemens von Rabenberg crushed what little relaxation Matthias had allowed himself before the impending turmoil.

“...He and ...

Hohenfels – Chapter 32

If he had to describe the lounge in a single word, Arne would call it ‘fluffy’. 

‘What is it with Westerners and their faible for unreasonably soft armchairs?’ he thought idly while settling into the embrace of a particularly impressive specimen. On the opposite e...

Hohenfels – Chapter 31

Katharina stood atop the gallery encompassing the entrance hall, looking out of the huge windows and feeling rather concerned.

What was Prince Arnold planning? It was worrying that he had not deigned to inform her of any details, for a multitude of reasons. It meant that she could not help ...

Hohenfels – Chapter 30

Arne studied Katharina from the corner of his eye. Her aura radiated smug satisfaction after doing God-knows-what to the poor girls who had been clumsily tailing them ever since they left Hohenfels Hall. A display of immense skill that made him both happy to have allied with her and worried about...

Hohenfels – Chapter 29

Arne repressed the urge to frown for the hundredth time today.

Recently, he found himself hurrying from crisis to crisis. Be it fictitious engagements, silkling soirées, or Friedrich being Friedrich, it was the exact opposite of what he wanted from his stay at the academy.

“Say, wh...

Hohenfels – Chapter 28

“You said the duel would be interrupted,” Leonhardt growled from his bed, where a gaggle of Sonnenfeld physicians and alchemists were tending to his gruesome injuries.

Maximilian was getting really tired of incompetent allies. “The Principal was already en route! If you had just held ...

Hohenfels – Chapter 27

The banesilver blade felt comfortably cold underneath Arne’s fingers. The spectators’ auras were muted and dull now, a far cry from the chaotic onslaught he was subjected to moments before.

It made everything so much easier.

The damnable silklings wanted a fight? They would get a ...

Hohenfels – Chapter 26

Arne sat in the Castellan’s office, nervously rubbing his temples.

“Why do you think Maximilian insisted on a public match, Uncle?”

“That is an excellent question, but not one we will be able to answer until after the fact,” Lord Hartmut replied sagely.

“I realize th...

Hohenfels – Chapter 25

Maximilian von Altendorf was livid. Not only had Ludwig, the colossal fool, squandered a golden opportunity to further their plans to deal with the East once and for all. No, he had also saddled him with this ghastly ordeal – ‘negotiating’ with Lord Arnold’s second. They had met ...

Hohenfels – Chapter 24

“Can I be your second? Pleeeaaase?” Friedrich begged with shining eyes.

Arne did not need long to decide. There was only one alternative – and he was unwilling to owe Matthias a gargantuan favor in addition to giving him a prime opportunity to meddle with things.

“Of course,�...

Hohenfels – Chapter 23

By the time Katharina managed to calm herself down, it was evening. The light falling in through the tinted window was taking on a distinctly orange tone.

Now that her head was a little bit clearer, she realized just how clean the niche was. Without all the dust and fallen books, it no long...

Hohenfels – Chapter 22

“Any suggestions on where to go from here?” Arne asked, trying to bait out whatever schemes she had cooked up.

“I think you should make a public statement as soon as possible,” Katharina explained. “If you denounce Princess Klara right now and blame everything on her bad temper, p...

Hohenfels – Chapter 21

Arne stormed down the stairs and jumped into the arena, his hands quivering with fear and anger. He willed them to stop with a quick burst of magic as he approached his unmoving cousin and knelt down beside him.

Judging from the angle of the sword and Friedrich’s weak, but steady pulse, i...

Hohenfels – Chapter 20

Arne silently cursed himself. He had completely and utterly dropped his guard, and only noticed it when he examined Katharina’s aura directly. It was the aura of a specialist – expertly defined, finely controlled, and dangerous. In a very different manner than Friedrich’s oppressiv...

Hohenfels – Chapter 19

“Let’s start with a simple enhanced lunge,” Arnold ordered. “Take up the– Ah, I forgot to ask: Which school do you practice? My best guess is Moreau, or maybe Beauvais.”

“Moreau is correct… Are you sure you’re not an expert?” Katharina replied, astonished. ‘He got ...