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// Gaiden: Foolishly Foolish Foal 
// Story: We Remember Everything 
// by Thunderscourge 
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A/N: Sorry for my absence this past half year, I took a big break from writing in general and even when I came back this story was on the backburner since it is technically "complete" outside of these extra Gaiden bits I am adding. In any case, I apologize again, and I hope you will still enjoy despite how long it has been since the last update.

This chapter contains heavy Ace Attorney references, but knowledge of the series shouldn't really be necessary...you'll see what I mean!

I hope you all enjoy, and I hope you hear your thoughts in the comments below!






In the years that had passed, Luna had worked on recreating the destroyed castle in the Everfree Forest, and at the end of her efforts she had managed to form what would become the center of her family's power: it was where they and the talent they recruited from across many worlds gathered to further establish, grow, and consolidate their power. With access to many realms, worlds, and countless conflicts, they needed to work on ways to resolve such matters so they could move on in their expanding power without having their existing worlds crumble beneath them and cause the fall of their growing empire.

It was for this reason that in a private meeting room there some hand-picked members of Luna's council were discussing their beliefs on how to handle these issues, and that it was most important that they not be interrupted from their think-tank of sorts.

"To defeat an enemy, you must know them. Not simply their battle tactics, but their history, philosophy, art..." one member of the council spoke, his voice trailing off as his point hung in the air.

A relaxed, almost half-serious voice followed next as it offered up a counterpoint, "Perhaps, but understanding one's enemy does not alone defeat them. Even if you yourself know how to triumph over your opponent, what good would it do if you cannot relay that information to your subordinates? What if internal politics keep you from taking action? The weakness of one faction can only be translated into a strength of another if they are able to act upon it."

This earned him a series of nods from the about half dozen in attendance except from one man, though the one he had responded to was one of those among the crowd agreeing,  "A good point, Wen-li. There are also internal or extraneous factors and events such as third parties, assassins, and other meddling influences that one must also take into account."

The sole dissenter was a gaunt man whose r's rolled and his voice was sharp yet precise like a knife, "Of course, if you are too feared to be opposed then the issue never arises. Fear drives most, for we act out of innate self-interest of some form. Even most forms of charity can be ascribed some selfish value, such as seeking recognition or signalling apparent virtue to corral support of some kind either from an individual or the public."

Once relaxed, the speaker from before grew a bit scolding as they spoke back, "We cannot just hope to inspire fear in every civilization, even if we do happen to work with physical gods and goddesses. Fear can breed new conflict where none existed before, so while it can be useful in its intended application, it brings with it problems as well that must be considered."

"Haha, catch me if you can!"

The entire room stopped their discussion and turned to see a small blue pony teleport into their room after having said this, the equine using the room to aid their escape route. The pony, Princess Trixie, ran across the room and earned a mixture of amusement and irritation from those in attendance. The man who spoke of fear before displayed none even as their meeting was disrupted by what was sure to be a major commotion in a moment, and instead he rolled his eyes before training them on the fleeing filly.

"Princess, this is an important meeting. I am afraid you will be unable to use this space for whatever game it is you are playing."

Trixie moved close to him and climbed up on the side of his chair so she could try and whisper up into his ear,  "I stole Hela's diary."

The man placed his palm on his forehead just at the moment the aforementioned sister teleported into the room as well, her normally calm face one of complete anger as Hela rushed right at her delinquent sibling.

This caused Trixie to dive behind the chair she was next to, "Save me!"

Despite the request for aid, she received none as the men gathered in the room all laughed or snorted instead. This was not the first time they had been through something like this, and they had agreed to remain neutral in regards to the royal siblings occasional playful quarrels. As Hela tackled Trixie and began to try and tear her hat off her head to remove the small book hidden inside, they all just watched the display as if it were a sport.

The fight was only half-serious in a way since the two sisters were not using all of their powers, but it still needed intervention to stop: intervention that came in the form of Hela's twin. Sleep Near had followed behind his sisters when he saw them fighting through the hallways, and so he forcefully intervened and kept them apart. Trixie was laughing even though Hela seemed a bit irritated, likely ruffled by the fact her sister likely had read at least part of the private document stolen, but it did not take long to send them on their separate ways. 

Sleep Near lagged behind to apologize to those they had interrupted, ashamed on behalf of his childish siblings, "I apologize for my sister...my sisters' unruliness."

The man Trixie hid behind, the present leader of the Royal Guard and much administration, shook his head softly from one side to the other in disapproval,  "I will speak with the Empress about the matter later. This is not the first interruption she has caused."

Not having more to say, Sleep Near just nodded at this coming punishment for Trixie's misbehavior and departed. When he was gone and the room was left to those intended to be in it again, a blue skinned alien smirked at the guard captain, "Grand Moff, I dare say you have grown fond of the Princess. I thought the people of Eriadu hunted animals, not catered to them. There was a time you would have castigated anyone who dared interrupt an affair such as this, at the very least."

He received an unamused look back, "You work for the same equines I currently do, Thrawn, so you had best not act superior."

The youngest in the group, a blonde man with a red haired aide by his side, cleared his throat to try and bring the subject back on course, "Perhaps we should return to the topics at hand. There are still conflicts that need our attention after all, and squabbling over nothing will not cease them."

The others did not need to say anything more before settling back into their strategic and tactical discussion of their Empire's matters, though the incident would not be forgotten and would soon lead to consequences.





In Canterlot Castle not many days later Sleep Near was walking through the halls, glossing over some paperwork related to his studies when he thought he caught sight of someone familiar in the hallway. Pausing to make sure, Sleep Near watched as a skinny silver-blue haired woman looked around as if she was trying to find something.

"Oh, Trixie, why are you posing as a Human?" he was looking at her from behind, but he found himself confused by Trixie adopting the guise of a Human being or Elf of some sort especially since it seemed to be an adult body rather than a reflection of her own youth, "And an adult at that. Is it to escape Hela?"

The woman in question turned around and looked the Prince over with some amusement before stretching an arm out, hand up and palm facing up towards him in a dramatic fashion. She was wearing professional clothing one would expect of a Human, and she honestly looked like a dead ringer for Trixie if she were to take a Human form...if not for the fact she had a noticeable mole on her face that Trixie ould not intentionally place on herself due to her ego.

"You mistake me for your sister, Prince Sleep Near. Instead you speak to the great and prodigious Franziska von Karma, who the senior Trixie tasked with carrying out her will as a separate third party entity some years past."

Sleep Near sighed as he realized he had another person to memorize among a sea of others his parents were bringing home to aid them in varying matters, "Mother has been abusing the Bifrost, Hel, and Valhalla it seems."

The woman, a German prosecutor from Earth who had become a lawyer by the time most would be graduating High School, crossed her arms and retained her smug expression that also reminded Sleep Near of his youngest sister, "What the Princess does outside of our business is of no concern to me. Now, where is Trixie Lokidóttir? Your mother has assigned me to be her personal trainer, and I will carry out this task with a level of perfection only a von Karma could."

Sleep Near was definitely beginning to realize why Luna had chosen this particular mentor for Trixie to learn from: they had the same personality, the difference being age, and they were a close physical match. Luna probably couldn't pass up the opportunity to have an elder Trixie mentor a younger one in a way, especially since this prosecutor carried a whip at her hip and carried the aura of a strict disciplinarian. 

Seeing no reason to intervene if their mother was the reason behind it, Sleep Near granted her the information she sought, "She probably is in her room since mother is punishing her for her behavior."

"Thank you, Prince Sleep Near. I promise you that by the end of the day you will see remarkable improvements in the behavior of your sister."

With that, she bowed halfway over and made her exit, a determined spirit in her steps. For his part, Sleep Near only hoped Trixie wouldn't actually be on the receiving end of a whip...that would be reason to intervene, but it seemed that his mother was not worried so perhaps it was just for show?


The crack of a whip sent Kael fleeing across Trixie's room as a woman pushed open the door and strode inside with a sense of purpose, only to have briefly paused at seeing an additional child in the room where she had been told Trixie was not supposed to have other visitors as per her punishment.

Trixie had dove for cover in a fort of blankets and pillows, leaving Kael to his fate as he was cornered by a mere Human who stared down at him with the gaze of a principal about to reprimand a rule breaking student, "State your name."

"K-kael..." he choked out, surprised that he had been caught visiting Trixie when he shouldn't have been and also by his confusion over who was now in Trixie's room.

"Full name!"

The sharp voice made Kael crawl up even further into the corner he was seeking refuge in, "K-kael'thas!"

Having been told of this man by Luna, and recognizing it from another affair from years before, Franziska calmed down as she realized that this was indeed just a guest who wasn't allowed rather than an actual threat to the Princess, "What a silly name. Very well then, Kael'thas, may I ask what you are doing in this room while the Princess is under quarantine?"

Trixie had unburrowed herself and scowled at Franziska, a pierced pillow hanging off Trixie's horn, "Hey, you can't just boss Kael around-hey!"

After whipping the damaged pillow from Trixie's head, Franziska held her arm out towards Trixie like she had with Sleep Near before then bowing gracefully halfway through her next sentence, "Your mother has decided that you need lessons in manners, and has come to I, Franziska von Karma, to teach you how to be a proper lady."

"Proper ladies don't whip people," Kael grumbled, crossing his skinny arms as he stood up. This effort was in vain however as he stumbled over and fell at the crack of a whip aimed specifically to not hit him but come extremely close to doing so, causing Kael to fall into the corner again.

"And gentlemen do not speak back to their elders," Franziska said back as she curled her whip up again and placed it at her hip, her gaze turning towards Trixie, "Now, it is time we begin our lessons Princess Trixie Lokidóttir. I have matters to attend to on my own, so it is prudent that I not repeat myself or waste time. You will listen and do as told, understood?"

Scared of the first person who really bossed her around in her entire life as an actual authority figure, Trixie meekly nodded.





"Properly introducing yourself can mean a great deal in everyday conversation and life, for one only receives a single chance to introduce themselves for the first time. You must make it poignant and meaningful what you say, carrying across the persona you wish to expose to them."

The first lesson was a simple one, but an important one all the same. Unfortunately, Trixie was not yet used to how she should act around this particular mentor and answered simply.

"Hi, I'm Trixie-Ahh!"

Her poor introduction was cut off by the crack of Franziska's whip, not actually striking Trixie but using it close enough and with enough sound to frighten her into submission. It seemed that Luna had, due to her own inability to truly discipline Trixie, called in someone who would make up for years and years of neglect in that field in mere moments.

"Informal greetings are lackluster and give an aura of weakness to those seeking for it. If you offer your friendship first without conditions you leave yourself open to be taken advantage of so long as they go through the motions you began. Now, try again."

Determined to do her best so she could prove to her mother that she was a good girl who didn't need proper training like this, Trixie tried harder this next time.

"Hello, my name is Trixie. What's your name?"

Another whip crack sent a jolt down Trixie's spine, though she recovered faster this time as she began to register this as a competition of sorts.

"You used a contraction again in your introduction. Not only that, you have kept your warm greeting as it was with little change. Again."

Turning her nose up slightly, Trixie placed a hoof on her chest and spoke in a haughty tone, "I am Trixie Lokidottir of Equestria, Asgard, and Jotunheim. To whom am I speaking, and what is it you seek?"

Franziska smirked, glad that they had rectified the issue in such short order. Of course not every conversation called for such an introduction, but it was better that Trixie knew how to at least address certain people correctly rather than no-one, "Better. Flaunt your titles and power when greeting others of some prestige, as those that respect them will heed them, while those who are immune to such persuasion will likely reveal their biases against you. You must then learn to discern those who are openly showing such malcontent, and those who are hiding it behind a friendly visage."

Trixie smiled at the faint praise granted to her, but her lesson was only just beginning and she would have to keep working to earn further approval.

"Now, we shall deal with other forms of greetings and your would-be intentions in using them. For example, how would you approach a romantic interest of yours?"

Trixie shrugged, not really knowing much about the subject since she was still young, "I don't know. Hela's the one with a boyfriend, and mommy said Sleep Near's going to give her eight legged grandbabies now that he's finally asked his girlfriend out."

"Perhaps I should grant an example then," Franziska cleared her throat and began a proclamation, "You may be a foolishly, foolish, fool, but you are nearly as great as I, so I bestow upon you my affections."

Trixie tilted her head as even the young filly realized that perhaps that was not very romantic, "You don't have a boyfriend, do you?"

"No one asked you."





As their lessons continued, they moved on to another mundane yet important matter for personal interactions...one which had Trixie almost scald herself during the proceedings of since she did not yet know hot tea actually could be a bit searing right out of the gate.

"I will teach you how to make tea at a later point, but for now what is important is displaying proper manners as you serve and drink it. Understood?"

Growing used to the commands of her teacher, Trixie bowed her head so she could continue with the lesson, "Yes ma'am."

"Good, now go speak with that military adviser who offered to aid us and obtain the tea he brewed."

Trixie happily left the room to go fetch the tea prepared for them by another. One of the council members wasn't all too fond of war despite possessing unparalleled skill at it, so he took more time off than the other members with Loki and Luna's blessings. While reading history books he would often drink tea, and it was seeing him prepare some that prompted the most recent lesson idea and its implementation soon thereafter.

When Trixie returned she had the tea's container floating above her, using magic to aid her lack of hands, and she brought it over to the table she was going to sit with Franziska at. Her mentor nodded to her and gestured to the cups placed on the table, one for Trixie, one for Franziska, one for the maker of the tea, and one for Kael, who had been granted permission to see Trixie since she had not been misbehaving the past few days and had received good marks from her teacher.

"Now pour it without spilling a drop."

Thinking about how not to spill it, Trixie decided to pull the tea out of the container and use her telekinesis to place it down into the cups manually rather than pour it, "Like this?"

Franziska stopped her with a hand mid-way, resulting in Trixie only filling two of the cups in this manner, "Use your magic on the tea pot, not the tea itself. Pouring it accurately and without spilling using your telekinesis will show off all you need to, you need not waste the effort of moving each drop yourself in a way that will be seen as excessive by your guests."

Understanding the subtle yet still existing display of power and grace mentioned, Trixie did as she was told and began to pour the tea down with the aid of gravity. While a couple little splashes landed on the table besides the cups, she still managed to do it quite well with the only other complaint possible being that she perhaps overfilled the cups.

Blowing on her cup to cool it, Franziska nodded in approval to the proficient first trial, "A good start. Now, drink the tea for its health benefits before we move on to try again."

Trixie did as told, quickly gulping it down in a less than completely polite way that would be corrected soon after, but she stopped to nearly spit it out as she burned her tongue from the hot liquid. Irritated, she summoned some small ice inside her cup which dissolved quite rapidly but still managed to cool it down a bit, at which point she continued to drink. Beside her the fire-aligned Kael was having no issues with the heat of it, and he was using his free time earned by not burning his own tongue to look and blush at Trixie.

After drinking her own cup of tea, Franziska furrowed her brow and stared down at the container which still held some tea in it, "This tea tastes peculiar. What ingredients were used?"

The adviser who made it had joined them after Trixie poured it, and he was enjoying his own in a slow manner when he smiled absent-mindedly at the guest teacher, "Well, tea of course, and I am fond of putting some brandy in as well..."

The whip was brought out for the first time that day and the man had to flee from its reach as Franziska actually used it on someone for once, nearly striking him if not for his narrow escape. The man had originally been preparing tea for himself, but did he really not think about how two children were going to be drinking it as well? How could a smart man be so scatterbrained? The idea angered Franziska, who chewed him out with fervor. 

"You insolent, drunken fool, do you not realize what harm alcohol can do to a child's brain?!"

"I'm sorry, I forgot to change what I was making!" he hurriedly responded, trying to avoid a hail of whip lashes.

As she calmed down from her attack on him, Franziska failed to note Trixie and Kael both enjoying what remained of the alcoholic tea. Franziska crossed her arms and stared harshly at the man whose mistake could kill the brain cells of these poor children, "Your punishment shall be thirty days of alcohol prohibition, and ten hours each week of mandatory lectures for the harmed parties to make up for what you may have cost their young minds."

The man balked, "Give up alcohol? But alcohol has been Humanity's...err, Pony-kind's friend for centuries. Can I just abandon a friend?"

They began to argue on the pros and cons of alcohol while Trixie and Kael watched on the sidelines in amusement, Kael noting dryly, "I like it when she whips other people."

"I want a whip too," Trixie stated admiringly, personally in a place between complete fear and respect for her fierce teacher.

Trixie's idle desire worried Kael, who shrunk in his seat, "You won't use it on me, will you?"

"Depends."

"Depends?!"

Trixie grinned, "If you listen to Trixie everything will be fine."

"This is why your mother says you can't have a pet."

"Trixie already has you, why would she need a pet?" she mocked him playfully, which was returned swiftly with a statement of fact from Kael.

"Didn't you want that rabbit you found in the courtyard?"

"Mr. Hopsy was so cute!" looking over Kael and having grown partially intoxicated, Trixie came up with an interesting idea...at least it was to her as she envisioned Kael with rabbit ears, "You will have to replace him."

"What?"

"Miss Rarity will make you some nice rabbit ears to wear at all times."

"...no."





While Trixie was growing to respect her teacher, she also was still frightened of her and was also a daddy's girl, so when she came across her father during a lesson one day she dove towards him for refuge and safety.

"Daddy, save me from the scary lady. She whips me."

Loki rolled his eyes, knowing his daughter was almost lying, "Trixie, she is whipping near you, not actually you. Of course I would not let you actually be hurt, but Luna saw fit to bring in an aide in correcting your misbehavior."

Soon noticing that Loki was accompanied by his wife, her mother, Trixie rushed over to her for a second attempt at refuge, "Mommy, I'm sorry, please save me."

"Trixie, this would not have had to happen if you had not interrupted four consecutive important meetings. You will be perfectly fine, so please don't whine."

Hanging her head in defeat, Trixie trotted back over to Franziska, "Okay mommy..."

Actually appearing shocked that Trixie was so afraid of her, Franziska appeared a bit hurt, especially since she had dialed down her threats of force after striking intentional fear in the child at first. She had meant to scare her into submission at first, then not need to need to use it afterwards, but it seems she still was a cause of abject fear in the filly. She never had been great with children, so this only further hit that wound on her ego, "I do not mean to inflict such fear in you, Princess, only what is necessary...I apologize if I have acted too boldly."

Trixie hugged her leg as her parents departed to go attend important business, "Trixie forgives you if you bring her toast flavored ice cream."

"I..." Franziska fought the urge to gag, "No. That is a disgusting and vile idea."





"I have searched for someone you find disagreeable, and have brought them here for this lesson."

Trixie narrowed her eyes at the person mentioned by Franziska, a pony her age with dark fur who was large yet quite ugly with a personality to match. Staring him down still, Trixie stated her reasoning for hating the other foal.

"Geary Thoughts here is mean to Kael because Kael's prettier than him."

The pony nicknamed Garry scoffed at Trixie in the courtyard Franziska had arranged the meeting at, "That dumb Elf should go home, and you should go with him sell-out."

"You're dumb," Trixie shot back and was about to stick her tongue out when Franziska stopped her with a hand.

"Trixie, a proper lady would not respond with such an improper retort."

"But he's a stupid jerk," Trixie complained, not seeing why she should spare him from even petty insults.

Franziska nodded in agreement, "Yes, he is, so you must be clever in dealing with him. He is obviously small-minded and incapable of intelligent thought, for he is incapable of understanding what it means to insult those of greater prestige and intelligence than him. You are a Princess, remember that. Grace and power are both requisites for you to carry out the duties of your station."

Trixie thought for a moment of how to incorporate this information, eventually coming to a conclusion on the matter as she was glared at by the bully she stood across from. Adopting an almost regal expression, Trixie wiggled a hoof in front of her to gesture for him to shoo away.

"Very well, you may think what you will. Dismissed. You aren't worth my time, but you had best not make yourself worth it lest I punish you."

Geary Thoughts used a hoof to push Trixie's chest, surprising her since she was not used to being touched this roughly by someone outside of her family.

"Pfft, punish? What are you going to do, get your whore mother to beat me up?" he laughed as he took another swing at Trixie, which she sidestepped after recovering from the first.

Franziska nonchalantly handed her whip over to Trixie, both pleased with Trixie's way of dressing down the bully and also partly shocked by the foal's language.

"A use of force is now called for. Perhaps granting you this will result in unnecessary damage, but a lesson must be taught."

Having been given the okay by an adult, Trixie retaliated in a quick flurry to the bully not only insulting her best friend but now also her mother, and who had taken a swing at her twice. In moments the bully was on the ground unconscious from the whip strikes he had stumbled into like a lumbering brute, having received one lash for each time he tried to attack Trixie again and again. The end result was his unconscious body, and Trixie only feeling half bad about herself for punishing him.

"Now Trixie, remember, a proper lady does not resort to violence as their first option, but rather when it is called for in a situation."

Looking at the whip she had just used, Trixie found she still wanted it, "Can I keep it?"

"No."

Even those who didn't like Trixie as much in their age group began to quiet their opinions after word came of her complete humiliation of the bully, as well as that of another bully who thought she had gotten lucky. While lightly reprimanded by Luna and Loki for fighting, they both were proud that she had actually gone terribly easy on the bullies who fought her given that she had the power if an Alicorn trained by both of them.





"I'm bored. I want to play..."

Franziska looked over from the legal paperwork she was working on and noticed that Trixie had faceplanted herself on top of the book she was supposed to be reading.

"Others are working at the moment and you will disturb them. Now is the time for studiousness, not boisterousness."

Trixie ignored what she didn't want to hear, "Where's Kael?"

"With your father, learning just as you should be right now. What would your mother say if she knew you were ignoring your studies of Jotun geography and of proper governance tactics?"

Trixie rolled her head over to look away from Franziska but still remain planted on the book, her voice one of somepony fighting back tears, "Mommy expects a lot of me."

Realizing that the girl was about to cry, Franziska put a comforting hand on Trixie's shoulder and gave her a sympathetic look, even if Trixie could not really see it. After a moment of silence the lawyer sighed and shook her head, realizing that she actually had something else in common with this young girl.

"My papa had high expectations of me too. Everything had to be perfect..."

This caught Trixie's interest, one of her ears perking up before she shifted her head to then face Franziska.

"Was he like my daddy?"

The fearsome 'Demon Prosecutor' Manfred von Karma was not a man very alike Loki Odinson in almost any regard, so Franziska tried to hold back a laugh, "No, I do not believe so. He meant everything to me though..." she missed her father, even though she knew he had done horrible things...even to someone they both cared about. She felt like she could turn this into another lesson however and so Franziska spoke softly to Trixie, "It is important to know and remember that parents are people too, and they are not perfect even if we wish they were. Try as we might, we are not perfect either, so we must learn to forgive the faults of others and ourselves if we are to live in happiness."

Trixie said nothing to this, reflecting instead on how much she loved her mother...and realizing that yes, Luna was not perfect, but that they both loved eachother as much as anyone could. As Trixie thought, Franziska was left to ponder on her own about the first time she met Trixie...at least, a Trixie.

Before the meltdown of the eldest daughter of Luna, Franziska had received a visit on Earth from a talking horse who asked that their will be carried out in a few months should they not return for it. At the time Franziska had not known its contents, for they were sealed, but agreed solely on the fact that she was a horse enthusiast who had met a talking horse that was asking her a favor. The surreal experience had made her check if she had been poisoned or drugged, but when she confirmed it was real she was excited at the prospect of there being a race of these talking horses. She doubted they would be a fan of her old riding crop, but a small part of the little girl still inside her was just giddy at the prospect of meeting with them.

Come the time Trixie said to bring the will forward, Franziska had learned that her client had committed what was possibly the galaxy's most planned out, spectacular suicide. The family was in mourning at the time even though Trixie had been dead for quite awhile, and were even more bereaved when they read the contents of the will for themselves.

Franziska thought it suspect that this young girl so closely resembled the deceased, but she could not explain all of the magic in this realm and so she let it go. Still, she did not want to see this sweet young girl walk down a similar path of grief, anger, and despair, and so she spoke up about the past, "Your oldest sister did not learn or take such a lesson to heart. I hope you will, for I would not like to carry out the will of any more people my age or younger."

Trixie had no response to that and so silence hung between them for a few moments before Trixie shifted the subject back to something else they had been talking about, "What's your papa like?"

Franziska smiled with some pride, "He is quite like me, but he is the best prosecutor I have ever seen. He had a forty year win streak for his trials, and was ruthless towards those who would break the law," she sighed as she realized how many innocent people must have gone to the gallows or rotted in jail because no defense attorney could match her father...but at the same time, her father's relentless attitude was forfeit in many ways when it came to his family life, "He could be really kind though, at least to me, my mother, and a boy he adopted and took as his pupil."

Trixie smiled as she thought about something similar in her own life, "My papa brought home a pupus too, and he lives with us now," a thought crossed her mind as she thought about Kael, "He's better at magic than me when we're learning from daddy, so I hate him in lessons, but he's my best friend when he's not busy showing off."

The obvious jealousy mixed with affection amused the lawyer, who grinned to her student, "Do you like this boy?"

"Trixie does not know what you speak of. Kael is nothing but an annoying little bother who makes me look bad in front of mommy and daddy, so I hate him."

"No you don't."

"Trixie is serious," she whined before pouting softly, "He makes me feel funny, and I don't like it..."

"You obviously have feelings for your companion, even if you are jealous of his talents and abilities that surpass your own," Franziska sighed knowingly, "Admitting defeat is another talent one must master in life, be it in professional matters or in one's relationships."

A curious thought popped in Trixie's mind as she compared their situations, "Does your brother-thing make you feel funny too?"

The question caught Franziska off guard and made her gawk at first as she tried to formulate a response, "W-what kind of question is that?" growing red in the cheeks, Trixie wasn't sure if she was getting angry, embarrassed, or both, "As if I would fall for such a troublesome man I call 'Little Brother'. You must possess an overactive imagination if you were to think such a foolish idea."

"That's like what I said when mommy told me I liked Kael," Trixie playfully teased, realizing she had hit a nerve.

"Silence!"

"Mommy, Franzy likes her brother!"

"Recant your erroneous testimony at once, foal!"

In many ways, Trixie had a long way to go in terms of growing up and becoming a proper lady, but over the coming years she would learn some basic manners and etiquette she had somehow failed to pick up while living in a royal castle thanks to the cultured background of the family's newly hired legal expert.

As some in their inner circle would say, "The whippings will continue until etiquette improves."