I sat awkwardly on my bed as Anna stood by at the side of the door, her eyes refusing to meet mine as she stood there sheepishly. It was still an hour till dinner was to be had and so we were left hiding in my room. The Baron was certainly not the sort of company I prefered to keep, but there was no way he hadn't been fully aware that she had lied.

Even then, I had no idea why she decided to stay in my room and not by the door till. I layed back on my bed and stared up, trying to pretend she wasn't there at all. The thought had crossed my mind to ask what her reason was. I decided against it for the time being. Whatever it may have been was unlikely to be something Anna would actually answer. Annoying as it might have been, pressing such topics usually didn't go well.

It certainly didn't help that I had a more pressing concern. Though it was still an hour off, I worried about how the dinner would actually go. Lady Lura'mi was someone I was beginning to understand. Her calm, emotionless state was still disturbing, but she was easy to read. She had her goals and as long as I didn't cause her problems, she wouldn't harm me. Her daughter on the other hand had me far more worried.

I hadn't even seen Misana sense the event and the fact she could feel others emotions was my main concern. As I lay there on the bed, I tried to keep myself in a placid state of mind. If I could keep myself in such a state throughout the dinner, I'd minimize her distress most likely. At least, that was my hope and it'd be the closest thing I could think of to do as some form of apology.

Even if I knew I should apologize, I couldn't. Every time I imagined it, a cold sort of disgust would rise in me. I couldn't even think of the words without imagining the corpse like visage of the Penitent Sorrow. I let out a sigh as I stared up at the ceiling and said, "A dinner. Who will be there?"

I looked to Anna, who seemed startled that I was addressing her. After a second, she cleared her throat and said, "Well, obviously Lady Lura'mi and her daughter."

I stared for a moment and said, a hint of tired annoyance in my voice, "Obviously. Who else?"

She crossed her arms and frowned, saying, "Mr. Hazen, Captain Zent, and...me, I guess. Sense I'm your personal servant, I'm expected to dine with you, too. No one else."

I sniffed and asked, "So not the Baron?"

Anna's strong stance shifted slightly, her eyes falling away from me. She said, in a more frigid manner, "No. He was just visiting to see you. Lady Lura'mi does much care to let him spend much time here."

Her fear of the man seemed odd to me. I couldn't be sure without asking, but I got the oddest inclination that there was something more personal to her discomfort. Throwing my caution to the wind, I asked, "Is there some reason for your reaction to Baron Montiquen?"

The otherwise strong looking woman's mouth twitched for a moment, turning into a grimace. She stood silently as her eyes turned to meet mine, but I didn't look away. Slowly she gripped her elbows and stiffly said, "That's none of your business."

I let our eye contact linger as I turned my head back to the ceiling and broke it only after I said, "Ok then."

It was a half hour before the dinner that I was suddenly whisked to another room. There I was forcefully given a haircut and my beard was trimmed. Then I was hurried to a room with a bath already drawn. Again, Anna stood in the room, yet she seemed far too distracted by whatever thoughts were on her mind to really stare at me. I hadn't even been allowed any sort of privacy outside of my room once, though. I was reluctantly getting used to her presence.

As I walked out of the door into the open air of the bastion of the wall, I saw Lady Lura'mi calmly sitting at the head of the table with Captain Zent seated to her left. The plates had been set and the two were having some quiet conversation. Relief rolled over me when I saw they were alone besides a few guards who stood about. I thought it was odd that the dinner was taking place there, but it ultimately didn't really seem any stranger than any other thing.

When she took notice of me, the two's conversation ended instantly as she motioned for me to take a seat. As I did, Anna took up the seat next to me, her face a poor imitation of the elven lady's own mask-like look. Captain Zent gave me a side glance and said, "Ah. Hello, then. I see you showed up proper looking for this at least."

Lady Lura'mi said without even waiting for any sort of statement from me, "Misana will be here soon enough. I will remind you that the invitation is from her for you to be here. Do your best to respect that fact."

I took a deep breath and nodded, trying to steel myself as best as I could. Captain Zent said, casually as he brushed his sleeve, "Over thinking shit will only make it worse, you know."

With a glance at him, I gave a slight nod and looked at Lady Lura'mi. Changing the subject was probably better, so I said, "You never have actually explained what it is you do."

She sat there extremely still as she said, "Ah. Me and my guard actively deal with issues that threaten the kingdom. The eternal sorts, so don't concern yourself over thoughts of going into the war. Monsters, cults, and sometimes helping out the guard take care of bandits or smugglers."

I asked, "Somehow, I expected far worse."

Captain Zent let out an unfriendly sort of chuckle and said, "Think for a moment. All of those are things that are dealt with usually by people not us."

That statement brought a frown to my face and I glanced at Anna. She was sitting there abnormally quiet and doing her best to look as much like nothing as possible. Upon seeing me look at her, she startled. Lady Lura'mi's eyes then fell upon her and my personal guard seemed to shrink in her seat. The pale elven woman asked, "How does your post suit you, Ms. Timberland?"

Anna went stiff under the gaze. She sat there for a moment in clear fear before the door opened and Salvester stepped through, saying, "Beg our pardon, Lady Lura'mi. We are a bit late."

As soon as the elven woman's attention shifted, Anna let out a silent sigh of relief. I braced myself, though, and turned my own gaze to the two at the door. Misana stood there in her fancy dress with her face turned downwards. Even still, the large scar down her face was blatant. An eyepatch, decorated with the image of a flower, covered her eye. The young woman shook as she said, "G-good evening."

I bit my lip barely not hard enough to draw blood as she walked over silently and took the other seat by her mother. Salvester had her arm as they moved slowly. Misana stumbled once or twice, only adding to my own feeling of guilt. She didn't look up the entire time, finally saying as she was seated, "T-thank you for showing up. I-I'm s-sorry ab-about this."

That was enough to tighten my teeth enough to draw blood; an act quickly noticed by Captain Zent. The man hastily cleared his throat and said, "Oh, don't worry yourself, young lady. A dinner will be a damn good way to clear the air."

Salvester gave him a sort of pitting smile and half heartedly said, "Ah, I see your mouth still can't manage to resist some words, Captain."

I watched the too for a moment as I felt the full attention of the softly glowing blue eyes. There was an intensity there that didn't ease till I let my jaw relax. With another breath, shaking the half heard sounds of that goddess from my head, I looked to Salvester. He looked at me with his sorrowed smile and asked, "How has your studying gone, Master Moores?"

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I thought about how I'd rather have the icy water being thrown on me instead of this, but instead of voicing that, I said, "I have no way to really say if it is going well or not. I assume so?"

WIth that I looked at Lady Lura'mi with expectations of some sort of answer. Instead she was eyeing me still with an intent I couldn't parse. At first I assumed it was to see how I was reacting with Misana being there. Yet there was an almost excitedness to her expression that I hadn't seen before. It was still without emotion, but there was something she clearly wanted. After a few seconds of silence, Misana spoke up and said in a quiet voice, "I-It can b-be a long pr-process. Mother h-has told me y-you have ma-managed t-to hold the e-energy far better t-than mos-most at this s-stage."

Misana still hadn't even looked up yet; her shivering and shaking breath betraying her clear attempts to hide her fear. I felt like someone had tied a weight to my heart as she sat there trying to be nice. I couldn't blame her for that way she refused to look at me at all. Just trying to imagine how it must feel to be forced to sit at a table and play nice with someone who had done such a horrible thing to her was painful. I could only imagine how it would feel to be sitting at the table with the girl who had caused my old life to fall apart. How angry and scared she must have been sitting there.

I sighed a little and said, "I see. Thank you for letting me know that then."

As I began to speak, Misana jumped a bit in her seat but still never looked up. I could feel that the entire table was staring at me, but I refused to look away from her. I was determined to burn the way she looked into my memory to be an eternal reminder to never let something like that happen again. I would get Veline back, but I'd find a way to do so without causing harm.

Lady Lura'mi cleared her throat, drawing my attention back to her. I felt shock run through my spine as her intense look only grew and she seemed almost predatory in whatever had given her that weird excitement. She said, her voice still errie in it's calm, "I see you are both making a good effort to mend your rift, but we are still here for dinner. It should arrive soon enough."

It was then I noticed Captain Zent hadn't been looking at me, but at the elven woman he served. There was a weird confusion to the way he stared at her. Somehow that made me worry more about what was going through her mind. She continued, "I hope you find the food to your liking, Alexander. It's a far better meal than what you have been having."

Salvester looked at me for a moment and then to Lady Lura'mi, a moment of confusion on his face. Whatever her plans were, I began to realize no one but the elven woman herself knew. After a few more awkward minutes of silence barely broken with some attempt at conversation, the door once more opened and charts of food came rolling out. The plates and glasses were quickly distributed and as the lot lined up to bow, I picked up my fork.

Yet a bolt of blue energy threw the item from my hand, causing me to look up. Lady Lura'mi's hand was out stretched and her intense look was now turned to the one who had put my food down. In a matter of moments she had swiftly left her seat, walked over to a maid, and grabbed her by the throat. I watched in shock as she was dragged over to the wall's edge and the elven woman spun her to face off it. The maid struggled, but couldn't escape the grasp. The entire table was silent beyond a soft whimper from Misana.

I stared in disbelief for a few moments before I noticed something was off about the maid. She was fairly normal looking. Fair skinned and pretty faced, like any other maid would normally look. Slowly I looked to the other servants, each looking far stronger than her. Turning my attention back, Lady Lura'mi was holding the woman with her body bent over the cap between the crenellation. The elven woman said, "The church is not foolish enough, nor would the barren send such. You are no new recruit either, for I choose them and I know not your face. So do tell me who's bird you may be?"

One of the guards walked over to me, motioning his hand at the plate. I quickly gave it to him and he walked over to Lady Lura'mi with it, who continued saying, "Go on, speak and you may yet live to fly back to your master."

My eyes turned to Misana who was whimpering and crying as quietly as she could. Salvester was gently rubbing her back, whispering soft, kind words to her like a father might. Anna was stiff in her seat as she watched. Captain Zent looked almost annoyed and bored, gently patting down a crease in the table cloth. The maid screamed out for forgiveness but Lady Lura'mi didn't budge, saying, "My, you must be so scared."

She motioned for the guard to grab some of the food off the plate with his hand and Lady Lura'mi pulled the woman back, face up to the sky. The elven woman said, still calm as ever, "Do take a bite, I insist."

The woman screamed out and thrashed as the food was brought near. Lady Lura'mi frowned and said, "Oh. So I assume it was poisoned then. Now who would be stupid enough to actually try to kill the one Herald who wouldn't stay dead? Come on now. Might as well speak, because if you don't? I'll decide it isn't worth trying to figure out."

I sat horrified as the maid screamed out, begging for forgiveness. Finally she shouted, "Ordim Vin'Gari! Ordim Vin'Gari!"

Lady Lura'mi shook her head and with a swift, fluid motion threw the girl off the wall. The food was then dumped off as well as she said, "It would seem dinner must be canceled. No telling if she had snuck anything else into the food. A shame really, I was hoping to see where the night went. I'll have something sent to your room, Mr. Moores. Don't worry, I'll make sure personally it was checked. Captain, if you would see Mr. Moore and his guard back to his room?"

Zent stood and bowed, looking somehow relieved. I looked to Misana, who was still silently crying. I said, sheepish in my attempt to be nice after that, "Have a good night then, Misana."

Misana suddenly went completely silent, her haunted looking eye turning to me finally from behind her hair. She stared at me with this fearfully confused look as I turned and joined Captain Zent at the door with Anna. As the door closed, Anna let out a massive breath and Zent said, "Well, shit. That wasn't exactly a great start, but I think you may have at least not do anything to make things worse personally. So congrats on that."

I asked, feeling drained, "Does that sort of thing happen a lot?"

Anna said, finally speaking up, "No. No it doesn't. Fuck. I didn't get to actually eat!"

Captain Zent laughed somewhat sadistically and said, "Don't worry, you'll get another chance no doubt." His expression shifted as we walked. "I don't know what she wants, but I have a feeling Lady Lura'mi has come up with something involving you and Misana."

I frowned and looked at him, but right before I could ask, Anna said, "Captain, you would know if she was up to something. Given how-."

Zent's eyes flared and he said, "You'll shut the fuck up or I'll have you join Mr. Moores in his next bath."

Anna's face suddenly turned a bright red and she turned her attention away. I said, feeling awkward, "Why-"

Zent's glare turned to me as he said, "So people can have a fucking rumor about you two instead."

When the meaning clicked, I felt a cold chill run down my back. Partially out of the fact that he was seriously willing to order her to do that, but more for the fact that a momentary mental image came to mind of the two. Then I turned my attention to Anna and said, angered, "You have zero problem staring at me when I bath, but that's where you draw the line?!"

Captain Zent stopped suddenly, a look on his face that was at first shock and then almost pure evil. Anna turned to me slowly, her tanned face now mixed with a darkened red. She growled out, "Yes. I must keep an eye on you at all times. That doesn't mean you-"

Zent sauntered onwards, getting right up to us, and said, "Ahah. Anna, you pervert. Oh my oh my. How terrible of you. Now. How about we all just pretend nothing was said about our personal lives here. Oh, what would people think if that otherwise so unfeminine Anna was found to be happily watching the man she is supposed to be guarding while he bathes?"

I slowly looked forward, down the hall. I knew my face must have been red, but all I wanted was to just pretend it wasn't happening. Anna looked mortified and said, "You know damn well it's my orders. And I-"

He tutted at her several times, saying, "Oh, no one would think Anna of all people would fall for the guy. Such a tough, strong woman who hasn ever shown any interest before. Head over heels, finally showing some want of her nature."

I said, "Ok! Ok! Please, I'll eat the poisoned food if you want, but please stop!"

The Captain huffed and said, "Ah. Damn it all, fine. Just don't go spreading that stupid rumor about me and Lady Lura'mi."

Anna remained silent the rest of the way, Zent only speaking up to voice some annoyance with how the hallway hadn't been 'properly' cleaned. I didn't see anything, but my mind was too busy being fogged up by the tiredness of the entire event. At my door, he instantly left us without further word.

As I stepped into my room, Anna held the door open still. I looked at her and she was staring at me, still red in the face. She said, anger in her voice, "Damn it all. You aren't putting any stock into what he said are you?"

I blinked tired and asked, "You don't seem to view me as anything other than an annoyance, so why would I think you have any desire to watch me while I bath and get dressed?"

She let out a sigh and seemed to calm down, saying, "I will keep doing what I'm ordered to do. I'm not annoyed at you, but with this dumb situation. I got assigned to this, even if I argued that I shouldn't be the one sense I'm a woman. Lady Lura'mi didn't care."

Anna suddenly paused, taking a deep breath. She said through gritted teeth, "Lady Lura'mi ordered me outright that if you tried to....do things to me...that I am to obey."

I sat down on the bed and frowned heavily. My personal guard wouldn't look at me as she said that. I said, disgust in my voice, "I see. Was..."

I trailed off, realizing the question was probably something I shouldn't ask. The fact that she had been ordered to not resist anything was weighing heavily on my head. The way Anna acted around Lady Lura'mi started to make a disgusting amount of sense. I could hazard a potential guess on her dislike of the Baron, but I just couldn't ask to confirm it. I shook my head and said, "Listen. I won't tell anyone if you don't watch. You can just turn away. It's not like I have any desire to try and do something."

Her breath caught and she said, an attempt at her normal sarcastic tone failing, "How nice of you to worry about me. You asked me if I wanted to not be your personal guard? You'd better be not so stupid as to not know the answer to that now. Let's take Zent's advice and just pretend this didn't happen, ok?"

With that she closed and locked the door, leaving me with that sort of odd sadness. It had been a long time since I actually felt sorry for someone else. I let out a soft sigh as I got up and prepared myself for bed. I wondered morbidly if Lady Lura'mi had a habit of doing horrible things to people. Still, I felt some pity for her too. How could she really understand why what she was doing was wrong if she couldn't feel any emotion?