Come on, you are that girl. You’re goddamn goated. Don’t let anyone fuck with your head. Whew, let’s do this.

“Kiyomi? You good?”

Vaughn was looking at me quite odd, like I was trying to puff out my cheeks as I gathered myself.

“I’m good, just, still hyping myself is all.”

“Well, we’re here.”

Silwia stood in front of a door, giving me the time I needed to prepare.

“You will be fine, Jozef and I will be here too. You have nothing to be worked up about.”

Fuck, like you know! Wait, does she know too?

I found myself moving closer to Vaughn, damned near reaching for his elbow with one of my hands. The closest sense of anxiety I could ever compare to was attending a military board for promotion, a laid-out assessment of my knowledge, character, and achievements. The doors opened, and we were greeted by a half-full dining room of servants and attendees. Roughly half of the seats were taken, the other half being vacant and haphazardly scattered through the room. Most were unremarkable, but three amongst the crowd stood out. Sabine, seated halfway down the table, stared at us, wide-eyed in surprise as we entered with Marissa at her side. At the end of the table, speaking to a man seated in such a way that all other seats would inevitably be able to take view of him and the man laying claim to the seat himself. A man, who should have been no older than thirty, well worn by some affliction that waged war against his body itself and badly burned. A healer was present as well, occasionally leaning in, not to listen to the words of Jozef, but to observe the man seated at the end of the table.

“What’s wrong with the gentlemen there?”

I found myself leaning close to Silwia, attempting my best to look away.

“He is a leper. The sickness took to him indefinitely after the failed attempt to cure it, so he is bound to a healer. He’d have died long before your birth if it were not so. Don’t worry, as it stands, he is not infectious.”

So he’s mostly stable?

Silwia must have taken my stolen glances at the man's condition into account as she monitored my reaction.

“There's a cure for it?”

We whispered back and forth as we entered.

“I can tell you he discovered there was none; he nearly immolated himself some years ago.”

She shook her head as she said so.

Fuck me, I mean, you can’t fall apart if you fuckin scour whatever is doing so to begin with, but fuck?! You mean to tell me no one figured the shit can be treated with– antibiotics don’t exist here… that’s right. Shit.

“Who is he? I figure that’s important enough if he’s here instead of resting.”

Silwia nodded, but failed to answer, opting instead to lead the way as she approached.

“Lord Janusz, it is good to see you in better health.”

She nodded, curtsying shallowly, Jozef standing straight and Janusz chuckling weakly.

“Miss Wanik, I appreciate your courtesy but you know well enough I’m never ‘in better health.”

He chuckled once more, seeming lighter in mood than his sunken brows and bloodied sclera would let on.

“I thank you, regardless. At the least, you and Jozef do not look at me with immediate disgust as my constituents do. It makes me feel normal if not for the sensory reminder of my ailment.”

This– he seems kinder than the warning lets on. Or is my judge of character off-key?

“Jozef.”

He looked up to our leading chauffer, waving a finger to Silwia. With little else to guide the display, Jozef reached out, taking one of his wife's hands in his own and kissing it gently before releasing it. The gesture did not escape me; a sense of self-imposed distance was shown by asking his lesser to perform his formalities from some idea of consideration.

“So, as our own greetings are handled, care to address the two that joined you? They seemed attached to your wife’s hip.”

Jozef performed the same waving gesture to Vaughn and myself. Jozef raised a hand, directing the Lord's already taken attention to us.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“This is Brenton’s succeeding lead engineer and son of the esteemed Greggor Baros, Vaughn Baros.”

Vaughn bowed shallowly.

“It is our first meeting, Lord. Thank you for your invitation to the luncheon.”

Janusz smiled, his cheeks twitching as he did.

“Hm, thank you for your work, young man.”

A shaking finger gestured to Vaughn.

“This one carries a head befitting such, a manner not shown by many low-borns with little to no experience lingering around the high. But, I assume that this may be due to the better half of our esteemed guests?”

He looked directly at me as he said this, looking past Vaughn's value as an engineer and the given compliments. He could not see Jozef’s expression, but I could, the man seemed to clench his jowls as he readied himself for conversation.

As if! I've never seen the dolt act so polite!

“Lord Janusz, this is Lady Kiyomi. The esteemed Varanian Noble-woman you've been eager to meet. However, as it stands, she is not at liberty to speak her family name. She is particularly inclined to the privacy of a commoner as of late.”

Silwia seemed surprised, her eyes shooting between myself and Jozef upon my introduction. A simple but evident gesture, keying in that even she was inevitably sheltered from the flow of information. Janusz leaned to the side of his chair, raising a brow as he acknowledged her surprise.

“I know of somewhat of Lady Kiyomi's preferred secrecy. Given the circumstances, I can point little to no blame. If she wills it, I shall refrain from speaking it.”

Janusz looked directly at me.

“My sincerest apologies, Lady Kiyomi. I understand you may have entered this city without beckoning formalities, but I cannot simply let highborn go unacknowledged when they put themselves in service to my guild. I am told you make of yourself quite the busy body in service of those you surround yourself with, as odd it may be with lower blood.’

What is that supposed to mean exactly?

He seemed to weakly force himself into a shallow bow, similar to Vaughn, if he’d performed his seated. A wheeze escaped him as he did, his healer assisting him back to recline in his chair.

“Regardless of how you may assist, as simple the task may be, or odd, it is in service to eastern Damus in the greater span of things. I thank you.”

He paused, taking a moment to breathe.

“I have never met a high-born of the southern lands; I look forward to you input on our plans, guven the vast difference in our world views.”

World views?

Jozef nearly popped the eyes from his head, attempting to try and signal some form of message with them.

My feet are in the soil, I’m well into the wire now– okay– whew– like we remember.

I curtsied the best I could recall from the years of memories I drew upon, the movement almost second nature. It was a far cry from my first attempt with Jagoda, and Silwia seemed to take note of it, nearly exclaiming something with a smile before Jozef cut her off with a tug at her sleeve and a slow shake of his head.

“I may unfortunately be an abhorrent bore, and so I fear I may contribute little to the forum. It is of no harm nor wound to me, Lord Janusz, to be addressed in such a way. I apologize for my sudden intrusion, but as discretion permits, I endeavor my best to remain untroubling to those Lords that call Damus home. I doubt you would surely be less anxious if someone unknown became a nuisance within court or politics.”

I did my best to field a polite smile, doing so with my lips closed to remain consistent with the teachings from memory.

Fuck, alright, nailed it, okay, yeah, that’s an adrenaline high I haven’t felt in a while. At least not like when fighting. Okay, stick to our memories; use your instinct here.

Janusz nodded once more.

“The consideration, as it is a courtesy extended by yourself, is appreciated and acknowledged. So few of our standing take such thoughts and generosity into account, thank you. I do hope the luncheon meets your expectations, though the cuisine of the south may differ in taste thanks to our trade being landlocked. It is good to see though, that the rumors of southern barbarians rings like a dull stone.”

What did you say–

“I- er–”

A tap at my heal, Vaughns left boot nudging me to wrap it up.

I nodded in return.

“I will undoubtedly enjoy it, as a meal at your Lordship's discretion is something I doubt few can cherish. I will do so as if it were my last in Krakow.”

Jozef squinted a moment before breathing deeply and nodding.

Okay, good, we’re doing good.

Janusz himself smirked as he registered my words.

“Honed words and a sharp mind to boot, it seems. This lunch will be… enlightening.”

“Apologies, Lord Janusz, may I steal our colleague away for a moment?”

Sabine appeared from nowhere, popping up behind me and damned near taking my arm in hand.

“Oh, you two are acquainted, Miss Morouex?”

Sabine lowered her head gently.

“We are both of the adventuring mind as our primary vocation, I wished to pry upon her thoughts for a moment without interrupting the dire issue regarding the quarry production over lunch.”

Janusz waved his opposite hand, Sabine curtsying as she pulled at my elbow.

“Go on, I'll take my seat with you the moment you choose it.”

Vaughn whispered just as I was pulled away. Sabine towed me away from the ensuing small talk, her dour expression ever present as she looked at me through the corner of her eye. We'd reached the far end of the room, her expression concealed to the others by the traffic of servants and new arrivals passed between.

“Does this have anything to do with why you were wallowing in drink last night? Do not look back over there; the last thing we want is for him to inquire of it.”

She struggled to do so, but as she held conversation, she forced forth a quivering smile.

I'm starting to think me being around her is a curse for the both of us.

“Hollowpoint, can you imagine the trouble you will be in if they find out you are impersonating a noble?”

She asked, fighting against herself as she attempted to maintain her carefree and relaxed posture.

It’s–

I wasn’t sure why I couldn't look her in the eyes at that moment; it was more so because I didn't want to outwardly say them in earnest.

The mask, use the mask, we can stay whole with it.

I met her eyes once more, settling to play this ‘character’ that was supposedly expected of me. I fielded the best expression of calmness I could convey as I answered.

“It’s not an impersonation. I am from Va-ren, and I am of noble blood. Apologies for not being open with it, but adverse conditions between us kept me from simply disclosing it. Why should one speak secrets to a crow, after all?”

Oh gods, you only needed to maintain face, not pull out the condescending bitch game that she plays!

I paused, Sabine nearly shocked from the words.

“It’s kinda hard, talking straight forward right now. They somehow figured it out. I’ll tell you later if it means you'll drop it, just, please go with it. We can go back to taking the piss when we aren’t at risk of making our lives harder.”

Sabine seemed half there.

“So thats it. It would make so much more sense of it, the insane poer, the sword–”

What the absolute fuck is she on about?!

She raised her head a moment as she continued piecing together some kind of picture I couldn't comprehend.

“Your sword, so that must mean–”

She stopped her words in their tracks, her mask of anger coming to the front before fizzling away to reveal fear for the briefest of moments.

“With you here, Janusz will surely attempt to goad you to the fifth floor, shit.”

“That was my reaction, too.”

“We are in this together, if it is discovered that you are a noble and I was present, that will be my head as well. If it was kept quiet in Brenton, it was for a reason.”

Again, with the act, she releases my arm.

“We will talk of this later, away from here. For now–”

She tilts her head toward Janusz subtly.

“Do your best to remain free of obligations’.”

She backed away, curtsying before returning to her seat.

What just happened?

I was confused, thrown off further by Sabine’s reaction to the scenario. I walked back to Vaughn, rejoining the group.

“As for the documents you have been so kindly furnishing, Jozef, I look forward to their conclusion from Vaughn here. For now, we will just have to do with what we have ready for presentation. We can always convene next week for a complete understanding of the project's scope.”

“Aye, Lord. For now, at least, we can begin with our understanding of the mine expansion, the tonnage needed, the expansion of underground farms, and the other plans for the expanding defenses.”

Janusz nodded, his brow rising from the sudden opening of doors behind us.

“Ope, it seems that everyone due to attend has arrived. Go on, don’t let me hold you. Find your seats.”

Jozef settled with the seat nearest to Janusz, Silwia taking the next in order. Vaughn stepped aside, pulling a seat from the table and tapping the backrest. It was the second seat from Silwia, and the one immediately next to his.

“It’s about to begin, Kiyomi; best sit before someone isolates you.”

“Thanks.”

I sat in the chair, folding the skirt beneath my knees as best I could remember and followed Vaughns slow push toward the table. Taking his seat, alongside a majority of the other people arriving to the meeting, servants began shuttling in prepared trays of food.