Work Text:
Charlotte sighed softly to herself as she wandered out into the garden, holding her instrument case close to her. Her older brother David was kind enough to let her stay at his place after living at home grew too unbearable. Thankfully Elmer and Yvonne weren’t home anymore, but that didn’t make living with the rest of her family any easier.
Being the only child with no redeeming qualities or talent, her parents were eager to marry her off to a man who actually was worth something. Her mother was pushing it more than her father was, but Charlotte had a feeling that was just because he thought of her as disappointment not really anything worth marrying off.
Louise and Clyde didn’t really help much. She didn’t think they meant to be condescending like Yvonne and Elmer, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be hurtful. Clyde was mainly just kidding around when he made fun of her, but it still hurt. And Louise… She was trying to be nice, but how she worded everything just made her feel worse about herself.
David was aware of it too. He may have not have talked much and was rather stern, but he was definitely the most understanding and compassionate out of her family. And knowing she wasn’t happy, he invited her to live with him and his family for as long as she wanted.
His family was nice and all, but even though no one said anything like back home, she still felt inadequate. David’s wife Anastasia was a beautiful woman, a former prima ballerina, and their two young daughters, Voila and Margaret, were both gifted in academics. Voila would no doubt become a public speaker one day while Margaret had a knack for academics; she would no doubt end up as quite the impressive scholar.
Charlotte had been average in academics. And public speaking. She could dance okay, but nothing even close to Anastasia’s level. She didn’t know the first thing about military. She knew she wasn’t stupid or anything and maybe if she had grown up in a different environment, she would have been just fine. After all, she could sew decently, bake some delicious pastries, work a bit with numbers, and play the flute well.
Being good or decent at something wasn’t enough though. Not in her family that was filled with outstanding and remarkable people. She had to be exceptional too. And she wasn’t. Perhaps if the instrument she played was something more highbrow like the piano or violin or harp, then she would have garnered more respect from her family.
But no – she played the flute, “a poor man’s instrument” as her father would say. He thought it was archaic and a waste of time for her to be playing with that. Her mother had been much gentler, encouraging her to practice, though only to see if Charlotte could prove herself to be exceptional at it. And when she didn’t, her mother seemed to just give up on the matter. Elmer and Yvonne almost seemed to hate to admit they were even related to her…
She let out a heavy sigh, moving to sit on a small bench by a fountain. She was glad the garden was so big – it plenty of space between her and the main house. Times like these, she could truly be alone and at peace.
Not to say David or his family was bothering her, not at all. She definitely preferred living with them over her family. But it was still just another reminder of how she didn’t belong. She didn’t belong in a family full of societal geniuses and probably never would either.
Being by herself and playing helped. She could be alone, play her flute, and not have to worry about anything. All she did was focus on the music, the soft sounds that escaped her flute. Pulling it from the case, she smiled and brought it to her lips.
It was as if the whole world was slowly disappearing around her. It was just her and the flute, the music flying out to create a bubble around her. Here, she could pretend that she was doing fine. That she was something worth noticing, worth spending time on. Maybe if she had a different family, they would have cared more about her flute, about her.
But she didn’t think about that now. She just wanted to play her flute and forget reality for a few moments. She would return when she was ready.
Ultra Magnus had come to meet with David to discuss military matters. There had been talk of rebellion building recently, which worried his advisors. The last thing anyone wanted was a coup… Especially not when things were going so well for the kingdom. So to put them at ease, he decided to speak with his military about the best course of action.
Though he was not expecting to arrive at David’s home and deal with Anastasia insisting on having him stay for dinner. He tended to forget that she loved entertaining, regardless if her guest was the king or not. Not that he minded much. Besides, David’s home was his last stop for the evening.
So Anastasia more or less kicked them out of the manor to prepare supper, forcing the two men into the garden. It was probably for the best though. He did want to discuss potential solutions with David privately and their garden was lovely. It would make for a good distraction from the grim future looming over his head.
David had already been speaking to the spymaster, coordinating with him to see just how might have been organizing such a rebellion. There was reason to believe that some of the soldiers were part of this group, so David was taking extra precautions. Ultra Magnus definitely appreciated the extra safety measures, but he was more than capable of protecting himself. It wouldn’t be the first time anyone has tried to assassinate or overthrow him.
“We should double your guard, Your Majesty,” David said as they moved deeper into the garden.
“I don’t believe that’s necessary, General. Overcrowding it may bring worry to the people. Besides, I trust my current men fully.”
“I understand, but we can’t risk your life.”
“My guardsmen can protect me and I can handle myself,” he assured him, giving the other a gentle smile. He could tell he was stressing the other out, but there was nothing to worry to greatly about. He was more concerned with his people. He had to make sure that, if rebellion did come, the people would be safe.
As they walked a little further down, a gentle sound caught his ear. The king paused, looking around when the sound came again. David heard it too, stepping forward a bit. But then he quickly recognized the sound, relaxing with a small huff. He had forgotten his sister had come out here earlier... He wished he could do more to help her. It seemed like she was always feeling down about how their family made her feel and there was nothing he could do to help.
Ultra Magnus pondered where the sound had been coming from. His general's family were all inside, save for himself, preparing supper. And the general didn't have many servants so logically, only themselves should be in the gardens.
"General, where is that...lovely sound coming from?"
"Follow me, Your Majesty," moving further into the garden, to a small nook he had ordered the gardener to set aside for Charlotte, they turned the corner to find her there. Eyes closed and seemingly oblivious to the world around her, Charlotte wove a strange yet elegant melody that seemed to seize the body, force everyone who heard it to listen. At least, so thought the King.
Ultra Magnus felt all stress, all anxiety and worry he had held from the though of rebellion, wash away with each note. Tension and stresses he had not known he had slowly melted away. Primus, he could have listened to her play for hours
Charlotte opened her eyes, surprised to find her brother standing there. She took the flute from her mouth to greet him, only to see her had company. But when she turned, she froze up seeing King Ultra Magnus stand next to him. She had only seen him twice, both when she was only a teenager. Her parents didn't even bother introducing her to him, unlike her siblings. They had mentioned her, but they were probably ashamed to even do that much.
"Ah-!"
Charlotte quickly stood up, accidentally knocking over her instrument case and flute. She blushed brightly, her hands stretched out to grab her things when she remembered she was still in the presence of the king. With her brother standing right next to him. Damn it, she didn't want to humiliate him! Not when he was letting her stay here at his home without asking for anything in return. So quickly, lowering her head, she curtsied deep in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.
"Your Majesty," she said, somehow managing to keep her voice stable. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you, I'll just be going-!"
Ultra Magnus smiled, shaking his head. "No, no, please - I was not bothered at all. You play the flute quite well, my lady."
Charlotte did her best to not blush brightly, but she couldn't stop from a red tint coming over her face. No one except David and his family had really complimented her on her skill before, though that was because she never played in front of others. Her father had discouraged her from playing publicly, giving that limelight to Louise's beautiful singing instead.
Seeing his sister grow flustered, David gestured to her. "Your Majesty, this is Charlotte, my younger sister. She's been staying with my family and I for a few months now."
"Your sister?" Ultra Magnus turned back to her, looking over her a bit. Strange, he thought he had met all the Banks children... Ronald and Pauline did love to bring their children to galas. Elmer was one of his Thanes, Yvonne was a prominent alchemist, David was his general, Louise was a talented singer across the land, and Clyde was a rising star in the treasure hunting world. He couldn't recall a time where any of them displayed any child with a gift for the flute...
Wait. He did recall one ball a year ago. Charlotte was not introduced to him then, but he did remember her sitting against the wall and drinking wine with other partygoers. He also recalled Pauline gesturing to her, saying that they had brought her along in hopes to find her a husband. Though if she was living here with her brother, that clearly hadn't worked out like Ronald and Pauline had hoped.
He smiled gently. "Ah, yes, I do remember seeing you at parties. A shame I've never been properly introduced to you until now, Miss Charlotte."
"I-I apologize for not greeting you before."
"It's all right, we've met now. And I was able to listen to you play for a bit. You’re very talented."
“Th-Thank you, Your Majesty…”
“She’s self-taught,” David added, holding back a smile when he saw Charlotte grow even more flustered.
“N-No, I-I had a tutor when I was younger-!”
“But she continued to play even after her tutor was dismissed,” David said. “She stopped seeing a tutor when she was twelve, but continued to play and improve over the years.”
Charlotte felt her ears turning red, not sure what else to say or do as her brother built her up. He was the only one in her family who would ever do this and it was always embarrassing when he did. Especially in front of esteemed guests who would then ask for to play for them. And this was the king, for Primus’ sake!
Ultra Magnus couldn’t help but to chuckle as the young woman grew more and more flustered. It was a shame her parents had stopped her tutoring sessions. She was already so talented. Perhaps if she had kept up her tutoring, she would have been even better.
He reached down to pick up her case and flute. Charlotte stuttered, her hands stretched out and waving around in a frenzy. He placed the instrument into the case before closing it, handing it to her.
“Th-Thank you, Your Majesty,” she stammered, holding it close to her chest as she bowed again. “I-I’ll head back now.”
“Of course. I hope to meet you again soon, Charlotte. I would love to hear your play again sometime.”
She didn’t say anything. Too overwhelmed, she just gave a small bow and ran off back towards the house. David wished she had stayed a little longer. She could have played something for Ultra Magnus and the king would have probably enjoyed it. Though Charlotte didn’t have much confidence in herself, no thanks to their self-important family.
He wished there was something he could do other than just boast about her to his friends and associates. To help her realize that she was talented, even if it didn’t get her to some prestigious position in society. That she was actually worth caring about, that she mattered, even if she had “no promising talent” like their family loved to claim.
“I wonder why your parents never introduced us.”
David snapped out of his thoughts to look at the king. He cleared his throat, standing up straight. “The right opportunity must have never showed up.”
“Perhaps.”
But Ultra Magnus wasn’t a fool. David would outwardly say anything negative about his family, but the king was aware of there was tension among them. Perhaps the family didn’t want to introduce Charlotte to him, whatever the reason might have been.
Still, he hoped to see the young woman in the future. He definitely looked forward to hearing her play again too.