A Stepmother's Märchen — Chapter 2

JEREMY SAYS THERE'S NO NEED FOR YOU TO ATTEND THE WEDDING, LADY NEUSCHWANSTEIN.

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: COME AGAIN...?

IT'S EXACTLY AS I'VE TOLD YOU.

I TRIED TO CONVINCE HIM OTHERWISE, BUT YOU KNOW HOW BUSY HE IS RIGHT NOW...

I BARELY HAD TIME MYSELF.

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: WAIT, JUST WAIT A MINUTE.

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: NO MATTER WHAT HE SAID, I HAVE A DUTY TO ATTEND THE WEDDING

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: SINCE I AM HIS MOTHER.

...IF YOU MUST KNOW,

THIS IS WHAT HE WANTED ME TO SAY TO YOU.

THIS 'MOTHERLY DUTY' THAT YOU BRING UP AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY...

IT ENDS AFTER THE WEDDING TOMORROW.

...AND IF YOU HAD A CHANCE TO BE RID OF THAT DUTY

EVEN JUST A DAY EARLIER, WOULDN'T YOU TAKE IT?

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: JEREMY SAID THAT...?

OF COURSE, I WANT TO BE ON GOOD TERMS WITH YOU,

BUT I DON'T WANT ANY SCENES AT MY WEDDING.

YOU UNDERSTAND, DON'T YOU?

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: JEREMY... SAID THAT...

[Jeremy von Neuschwanstein]: IT'S ONLY BEEN A MONTH SINCE FATHER PASSED AWAY!

[Jeremy von Neuschwanstein]: ...AND YOU'VE TAKEN A LOVER?! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: DON'T FRET IF YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT YOUR INHERITANCE.

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: I HAVE NO INTERESTING IN REMARRYING.

[Jeremy von Neuschwanstein]: THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!

[Jeremy von Neuschwanstein]: YOU'VE CHASED AWAY ALL OF OUR RELATIVES, AND FOR WHAT?

[Jeremy von Neuschwanstein]: JUST SO YOU CAN FOOL AROUND WITH SCOUNDRELS?!

[Jeremy von Neuschwanstein]: DO YOU THINK I'LL JUST STAND BY AND LET YOU DO THAT?

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT?!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: ...DO YOU THINK

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: THAT I WANT TO BE STUCK IN THIS HOUSE ACTING LIKE YOUR MOTHER?

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: I'M UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO LISTEN TO WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: UNTIL YOU MARRY AND BECOME LORD OF THIS HOUSEHOLD!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: JUST GO AND SWING THAT FANCY SWORD, GO HUNT, OR CURSE AT ME TOGETHER WITH YOUR SIBLINGS...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: DO WHATEVER YOU WANT!

[Jeremy von Neuschwanstein]: ...AS YOU WISH,

[Jeremy von Neuschwanstein]: LADY NEUSCHWANSTEIN.

SILENCE

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: HOW COULD THEY DO THIS TO ME?!

[Elias von Neuschwanstein]: JEREMY TOLD YOU NOT TO SHOW UP~ IF YOU TRIED TO GO ANYWAY,

[Elias von Neuschwanstein]: YOU'D BE HUMILIATED!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: HOW COULD THEY ALL BE SO CRUEL? NOT A SINGLE ONE OF THEM WAS WILLING TO TRY AND CONVINCE JEREMY TO CHANGE HIS MIND!

[Gwen]: MY LADY...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: THAT BASTARD! THAT SURLY AND RUDE BASTARD!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: AFTER ALL THAT I'VE DONE TO RAISE THEM! HOW COULD THEY DO THIS TO ME?!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: IT'S NOT THAT I'M UPSET OVER NOT GOING TO THE WEDDING!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: I'M MORE UPSET BECAUSE THIS SHOWS ME WHAT THEY THINK OF ME!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: ISN'T THAT RIGHT, GWEN?!

[Gwen]: YES, MY LADY.

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: RIGHT?! I'M RIGHT?!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: IT FEELS LIKE MY TEARS HAVE FROZEN...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: HAS IT ALREADY BEEN NINE YEARS?

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: THE ELDEST SON, JEREMY, ALWAYS LOOKED THROUGH ME LIKE A SHADOW, LIKE I DIDN'T EXIST.

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: THE SECOND SON, ELIAS, WAS A MISCREANT WHO OFTEN LIKED TO PLAY CRUEL JOKES.

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: THE YOUNGEST OF THE CHILDREN, THE TWINS, THREW WICKED TANTRUMS WHILE SCREAMING FOR THEIR REAL MOTHER.

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: THE NEUSCHWANSTEIN FAMILY HAS A LONGSTANDING HISTORY OF PROTECTING THE IMPERIAL FAMILY

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: EVER SINCE THE COUNTRY WAS FIRST ESTABLISHED,

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: WITH ITS NAME REVERED EVEN AMONGST THE PEERAGE,

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: ASTRONOMICAL WEALTH,

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: AND EVEN ITS OWN ORDER OF KNIGHTS.

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: THEN AN UNPRECEDENTED TRAGEDY BEFELL THIS GREAT FAMILY. I BECAME THE WIDOWED LADY OF THE ESTATE,

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: WHEN I WAS BARELY SIXTEEN.

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: ACCORDING TO THE WISHES OF MY LATE HUSBAND'S WILL, I WAS PUT IN CHARGE.

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: AND THE RELATIVES TRIED TO DO EVERYTHING IN THEIR POWER TO SEIZE CONTROL FROM ME.

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: HOW COULD THEY HAVE KNOWN THAT I WOULD ACT LIKE I COULD DO ANYTHING WITHOUT HESITATION,

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: THAT I WOULD BE A WICKED LADY OF THE ESTATE,

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: THAT I WOULD STAY AT THE BEDSIDE OF THE CHILDREN WHEN THEY WOULD TAKE ILL,

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: THAT I WOULD BECOME THE WITCH OF NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: IN THIS ARISTOCRACY, FULL OF LIES AND DECEIT,

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: NO ONE COULD HAVE BELIEVED WHAT I WOULD BECOME.

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: JOHAN...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: ...I DID ALL OF THAT, SO I COULD KEEP MY PROMISE TO YOU.

IF I MAY SAY ONE MORE THING...

I BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE PARTLY TO BLAME

FOR THIS SITUATION, LADY NEUSCHWANSTEIN.

YOUR IMAGE IN HIGH SOCIETY...

YOU MUST BE AWARE OF IT.

IT'S ONLY RIGHT THAT HE...

RESENTS YOU.

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: ...I CLAWED AND FOUGHT FOR THIS LIFE...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: AND WHAT DID THAT LEAVE ME?

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: JOHAN...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: WHEN...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: DID IT ALL GO WRONG?