Ten minutes passed onerously as we snacked on cookies and tea, the sound of a grandfather clock grating my already fraying nerves whilst Lun momentarily took over our body to have a cookie; before allowing me to take back the reins. My brother was definitely a recluse... He even hoarded knowledge like an old wise woman in the German fairy tales that father used to read us.
~Hey! I resemble that remark!~
I softly snickered into my hand as the marble door Griphook had left through opened once again. Said goblin waddled into the room with utter casualness, four ring boxes delicately balanced in his hands as an assistant walked behind him with a scroll of some sort.
"Highness. If I could have your attention for a few moments?" Griphook harrumphed into his chair whilst his assistant placed his scroll down onto the desk before the account manger, the young goblin's expression reverential to the older goblin.
We nodded as he placed each of the ring boxes down behind the scroll. It was an old looking document, the parchment used for it being of an old complexion. Frayed at the edges I wouldn't be surprised if this was from ancient Greece or something...
"As you know, your father met with our Berlin Branch fifty one years ago for an alliance." I inclined our head, as he continued. "During that meeting he ensured to update his and his wife's wills..." There was a dramatic pause whilst he unfurled the scroll.
"He decided to add several clauses to these wills that granted you full emancipation and freedom with regards to the monetary control of the Grindelwald fortunes and the family's that were either vassalized or adopted by them." He licked his right, stubby, index finger before pointing to a section of the scroll that was particularly noticeable. "This, control, also extended to your mother's families and lineage, should it be found that you have any other magical bloodlines besides that of the Grindelwald family."
Lun went completely silent as I started processing the ramifications.
This continued for a little until i broke the lull with a barely calm question. "Does this mean that I am now the owner of the vaults of Merlin's family, Morgana LeFay's family and the Nightingale family's vault?"
No verbal response was given but the huge devilish grin was enough to convince me that my deduction was certainly accurate. This was huge, politically speaking, since I was officially the only remaining bloodline heir to these families... Potentially... It was a hell of an assumption that I and Lun were making; his presence joining my own in the thoughts after a little time, but it seemed the most accurate for some reason unbeknownst to us.
"V-Very well, Griphook."
He broke the grin whilst licking his lips, as if an appetizing morsel had just landed upon his table to be eaten.
"Wonderful. Now, the other parts of your father's will states that all knowledge that he possessed would be given to you in the form of Pensieve memories as soon as you are officially emancipated, as acknowledged and confirmed by Gringotts and by direct lineage, King Ragnok III."
We nodded at the account manager's official jargon.
"Your emancipation," Griphook said, his grin slicing wide, "was confirmed precisely eleven minutes ago. Ritual sealed, King Ragnok as witness. From that moment, your potential dominion began." He paused once again, letting it sink in... "In continuation, as of this moment, the memories and the Pensieve shall be transported to the LeFay manor in Old Camelot immediately; your highness's ancestral home as in relation to the LeFay bloodline for your information."
Blinking rapidly at the slurry of information being rained upon us both, his words continued almost robotically... Ignoring the silent plea amidst our facial expressions wishing for him to slow his pace.
"Alongside this, your mother's will states that you will immediately be granted the ownership, at the time of your emancipation, of the Vassal contracts and various other house contracts of any families you are connected to... But!" He broke through the dense revelations to get us to fully concentrate on what had to be done. "This would require you to also be the Lord of these houses... Thus, I will require you to immediately adorn these lord rings and be judged by their family magics."
"The first... Is the LeFay Monarch Ring..." He pushed a small plush box with a singular raven crest emblazoned in the deep velvet exterior. It could have been said to have been mimicking some depictions of eagle symbols with their wings extended from medieval times. However this was incorrect, as it was a crest that existed before medieval standards and banners did... It was a precursor symbology meant purely for the might Morgan LeFay and her family.
Lun pressed against my thoughts, urging me forward. I didn't argue; my fingers moving in instinct, the lid creaking open to reveal what lay inside. The ring was anything but simple, pure silver laced with delicate veins of mithril that shimmered like frozen lightning. Its raven crest, unlike the velvet embossing on the box, gleamed in resplendent ruby, polished to a flawless mirror. If the others were half as exquisite, I'd wear them gladly. Lun, on the other hand, was practically frothing to seize the LeFay magics for himself.
The ring slid onto our hand with little resistance, the cold creeping feeling of ancestral magics crawling over our skin like frost gathers upon wood after sunset in winter. This caress of magic subsided over the span of a few second, the sensation of being judged and deemed worthy washing over us both as the goblin pushed forth our next ring.
"This is the Emyrs Ring." He opened it this time, revealing a lush green interior with silver lining. The ring itself was a rose-gold colour with a tame translucent quartz running through it like veins would flow inside of a body. Set into the ring in numerous points was the Triskelion, a Celtic knot for a traditionally Celtic family. Whilst the LeFay ring sat upon our right ring finger the Emyrs sat comfortably apart from it on the right index finger.
"Finally we have the Grindelwald ring and the Nightingale ring." He pushed the final two forwards and opened them.
These two were gorgeous, Lun agreeing with me as he mentally drooled over the Grindelwald ring. Said ring was made of the purest mithril, no veins spanning its exterior or interior. A geometrically cut onyx gemstone sat atop the masterpiece as the double headed eagle of German and Prussian monarchs held it aloft. Many shadowed recesses gleamed with unnatural darkness, undercut by spirals of moon-like light every now and then, the family magic literally steeped in the very metal and creation of the ring... Both Lun and I could remember this ring sitting upon our father's hand, though it seemed much less impressive when sat upon someone else's hand, I mused a touch. We slid it onto the middle finger; between the LeFay and Emyrs rings.
As we recovered from our father's magics the Nightingale ring teleported to our hand, its glowing moonstone flashing through every spectrum of colour before settling down and allowing its natural pallor to soak into us. A magic unlike any we had ever felt seeped into our bones and pierced into our core, receding only thirty seconds after. No crest, emblem or symbol showed itself upon the plain silver ring and yet the feeling that the symbol was now a part of us was ever present...
~Perhaps it doesn't outwardly show the symbol but instead marks our magic with its' presence, making our magic a calling card of sorts?~
'That, is better than what I can come up with... I'm tired.'
"Great! Now that you have officially become Lord LeFay-Emyrs-Grindelwald-Nightingale I can officially state that you are now the sovereign Lord/Lordess of these families..." He grasped some papers from a drawer and splayed them out on the table.
(Author: Placing them in a list for convenience)
[Vassals of Lord Solaris/Lunaris, LeFay-Emyrs-Grindelwald-Nightingale]
The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black
The Noble and Most Ancient House of Greengrass
The Most Noble and Ancient House of Ravenclaw
The Most Noble and Ancient House of Slytherin
The Noble and Most Ancient House of Wittelsbach
The Noble and Most Ancient House of Welf
Most Noble House of Malfoy
Most Noble House of Rosier
Most Noble House of Prewett- Converted to Noble House Weasley
La Noble et Très Ancienne Maison de Bourbon
La Noble et Très Ancienne Maison de Rohan
La Noble et Très Ancienne Maison de Noailles
La Noble et Très Ancienne Maison de Delacour
---
"This list only includes those with potential members remaining... Though Slytherin's and Ravenclaw's lines may exist purely through squib lines. The remainder of the vassals have had their lines shrivel up and thus, as their Lord/Lordess, the controlling family of the contract has absorbed all of their assets and wealth."
This information wasn't much of a surprise for me since my father used to bring us to his castle, Nuremburg, and allow me to learn theoretical studies of magic from the varying noble families that had joined his cause. The Rosiers had been the most helpful for us as they introduced me and Lun to political scheming and knowledge much earlier. Our memory of their memories were still intact to this very day.
"...I suppose we have only one item left to discuss then Griphook." He inclined his head slowly.
"How are our accounts?" He grinned predatorily.
"Fortunate you should ask, highness, why not have a look for yourself?"
[Accounts of Lord/Lordess LeFay-Emyrs-Grindelwald-Nightingale]
LeFay--
Galleons: 102,527,129,290
Sickles: 250,000 (All other Sickles are rounded up into Galleons)
Knuts: 25,000,000
Items: Family Grimoire, 5,000 Spell Books, Swords of Morgan LeFay, Immeasurable number of other artefacts, art pieces, martial objects and treasures
Emyrs--
Galleons: 823,224,371
Sickles: 250,000 (All other Sickles are rounded up into Galleons)
Knuts: 25,000,000
Items: Family Grimoire, 20,000 Spell Books, 5 Unknown Items, Immeasurable number of other artefacts, art pieces, martial objects and treasures
Grindelwald--
Galleons: 20,000,000,000
Sickles: 0
Knuts: 0
Items: Family Grimoire, 2 Spell Books, Vision Skull, 100 Billion Galleons worth of Magical Materials; Dragon, Unicorn, Basilisk, Demiguise, Obscurial, Wyvern, Thunderbird, True Dragon, Pegasus, etc... War Robes (Hydra Hide/Basilisk Hide)
Nightingale--
Galleons: 1,000,000,000,000
Sickles: 250,000 (All other Sickles are rounded up into Galleons)
Knuts: 25,000,000
Items: Family Grimoire, 13 Spells Books, 7 Ritual Books, Pocket Library, Immeasurable number of other artefacts, art pieces, martial objects and treasures
---
"I don't believe we're running out of money any time soon..."
~Pfft, you can go shopping whenever you want sister. This must be paradise for you...~
'Oi! Shut up bookaholic!'
Griphook watched us with rapt attention, his eyes never leaving our own despite how awkward it felt; and slightly invasive of our personal space.
"What of the properties?"
"They cannot be tabulated by Gringotts as all properties are catalogued within your Lord rings and therefor can't be accessed by us. Now, is there any other business you have with Gringotts today?"
I sighed as Lun started humming in our head again, his tonality was still off by a major key and it irked me.
"Yes, I'd like some way of accessing my vaults without needing to personally come to Gringotts. I'd also like for you to keep all of these documents sealed and protected with the highest level of security available."
His eyes gained a wild, untamed, glow at the mention of services... The goblins always earnt their money from services and taxes. They loved both.
"That will be-" I cut him off mid sentence, "Expensive, I know. But I'd prefer to keep these things to ourselves and I understand that the services you provide also includes allowing people to spy into what they should not be able to."
He grinned, we grinned... Everyone grinned... And I came out with 100,000 less galleons and the feeling that we were both dreaming and everything was going to fade into some incongruent fugue state.
We weren't In a dream though, Galatea snapping us out of that as we exited the office and quickly set off into Diagon Alley. The shopping was rather boring, the books from Flourish and Blotts being heavily censored on several points; Lun having taken over our body at that point and speed reading entire books like they were candy within minutes. Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions was easily accomplished, our shopping completed in a modicum of peace as only a singular muggle-born family entered; a bushy brown haired girl asking question after question about the tape measure and how it floated leaving both Lun and I rather please that our fitting was done.
The Owl Emporium was next and it held many creatures of varying types and species. Boredom faded in this shop however as words reached our ears like an artillery shell. All of the animals were noisy, loud and comprehensible to us both. It had Lun metaphorically covering his part of our soul whilst I, as usual, was stuck dealing with the hubbub.
Snakes hissed at the owls, the owls hooting back slurs and varying other exclamations of the snake's mothers' propensity to eat her own babies. Newts tattled towards Kneazles, the cats ignoring them with all the arrogance of a monarch managing his peasants. It was chaos.
Eventually we both settled on a very small snake that was being bullied by the other snakes for its lack of health and size. Lun loved the little one immediately, proclaiming that his name would be Flink... Meaning quick and nimble. I couldn't say no to my brother so I just bought him. Secondly we settled for an owl with a dark purple shade to it and the attitude of a scholar, silent and kind. I got to name her this time and I decided to go with something a little more mythological; Athena.
Thus with all our purchases made, a quick trip to the apothecary and the trunk shop; we bought the best trunk out there for like 2,000 Galleons, we stopped at our final destination... Ollivanders.
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