Chapter 2: The, not so, Fairy Tale Princess

"Mhm, yeah... Uh-huh... Wow, what a scandal!"

The young lady leaned against the open window. In her palms were two brightly colored birds. Budgerigars. Or simply: budgies.

"No way! Shut up! That did not happen!"

The birds cheeped and chirped, sounding like happy singing and pretty melodies. However, only one person knew what they were really saying.

"Serves him right. Kicked me out of that internship at The Citadel."

Her face went bright red. It stood out against her ivory complexion, making it almost as vibrant as the birds' feathers. "I'm supposed to be the apprentice of the head animal trainer! Me! Geneviève d'Ivoire, the Beast Tamer! UGH!"

She slumped—stewing, loathing, festering, despairing—no words in her mind could adequately express the emotions going through her at that moment. "My one chance at glory," she sighed, "gone just like that."

Then a chirp from her feathered companions caught her attention.

"What?" She perked up. "Another option?"

Then a tweet had her eyes sparkling.

SLAM!

"Papa! I wanna intern at Calamity Ranch!" She barged into her father's office.

Her father's eyes widened. He was used to her antics; it's a quirk he found endearing about his only child. But hearing her utter it was something he was not prepared for. "How do you know about Calamity Ranch, Geneviève?"

"A little birdie told me."

She strode up to her father and latched onto his arm. "It's perfect, Papa! I've always wanted a pony, right? And I still need to do an internship, right? Well, this way I can have both!"

Geneviève beamed with pride for having come up with this idea. How could she not? Her abilities, even within the category of utility-types, were niche. This was a chance to cement her place among the top brass, to be the hero she knew she could be.

Her father sat stoically, his brow furrowed and his face scowled. He's always given her what she wanted, after all, she was his delicate white fairy in a world full of beasts, he would've given her the world if she asked.

But she wanted Calamity Ranch.

"Ma petite fée, Calamity Ranch is no ordinary internship, like the ones at The Citadel. Those who enter always come out different." He stood up and reached under his desk, and a soft click could be heard, before he pulled out a box.

It stood out among all the decor around. It was plain, smooth, simple. The only thing adorning it was an emblem. Inside the box was an intricately made suit, detailed down to the same symbol that was sewn on the chest.

This fascinated Geneviève. She had only seen the suit in pictures of when her father was a hero in action. "Ysengrin, the Beast Hero," she whispered.

"You must take this, but you must not ask any more questions." He reached into the box, and from underneath the suit, produced a token, shaped exactly like the blazon.

And as Geneviève held the token in her palms, he gently grasped both her shoulders. "I know you'll do great things, Geneviève."