For a moment, Celeste lost the ability to hide her surprise. "The Selucid? Interesting choice." Yet again, she found herself wondering how much this girl knew.

"Allow me to translate." Arakash succeeded in hiding his reaction; centuries of conquests had honed his talent for concealing his intent. "She's probing for information without coming out and admitting that's what she's doing."

Daeva had a reputation for honesty which he was in no position to contradict, but a specific daeva's personal loyalties could be called into question. He didn't need to prove her a liar, only that her loyalty was to a cause which did not have Ada's best interests at heart. The trick as he saw it would be doing it in such a way that the daeva wouldn't catch on.

Celeste nodded at the accusation. "Well, yes, I am here to assist. I don't with for you to feel obligated to share more than you feel comfortable, however."

That right there was why Arakash needed to remain subtle. Perhaps a direct confrontation would result in her confirming his accusation, perhaps not, but chances were good she'd be able to twist her being a spy into a good thing and it would be accepted as sincere because it would be sincere, no matter how nonsensical. He wouldn't take the risk when there were safer methods available.

Ada considered the question, and decided there were no secrets at risk. "They seem the least interconnected to the rest of your politics. With others, I risk alienating rival factions. The Ort-Selucid seem uniquely isolated from the nobility and markets in spite of how common they are as laborers and soldiers." She bit her tongue before implying it was a matter of bigotry, but the thought crossed her mind.

"A minor correction," Celeste said. "Selucid are a people, while Ort is a familial name. Their most powerful family, granted, but you might offend others by calling them the wrong name. At best, you will reveal you know little of their culture."

"I had not realized. Thank you." Ada nodded and tried to hide her blush. Her tutors deserved some thorough chastisement for failing as educators.

"On the subject of their social role; Selucids have absurd natural healing. It makes them stronger than most, and it seems the only way to make one stay dead is incineration, necromancy, or waiting for old age, but they're incompatible with other bloodlines. They can't even cross-breed, since all that does is create offspring with the other parent's magic." It wasn't in Arakash's nature to be so helpful, but he needed to prove more useful than the daeva. "Which does not serve them well in the thaumocracy that is Karana."

He left out some details, like how all societies were in effect thaumocratic. It wasn't bias, so much as that supernatural power was an unfair advantage in every aspect of life. Those with more power found they had more tools at their disposal to solve problems and acquire success, which allowed them to interact with other powerful people, produce offspring which solidified their bloodline rather than dilute it, and continue the cycle across the generations. Royalty carried the blood of gods because it was gods who forged kingdoms.

They continued discussing the finer details of Selucids in Karanan society, which then expanded into other species well into the evening.

At which point, Ada had begun to worry about Shiara. She knew the girl could take care of herself better than most, but after the events of the day, she hoped to talk to her.

Instead, she chose to talk to Celeste, though in a roundabout way. "I should pay you for our stay."

"No need," Celeste said. "I've been given a discretionary budget for the purpose of your stay. It is standard practice when dealing with ambassadors. I admit, using it in this manner is unusual, but hardly objectionable given the circumstances. The difficulty is in doing so without alerting anyone."

Arakash spotted the danger the moment Ada spoke. There was little he could do to stop it, but he had to try. "Surely your father's entertained visitors, Princess. This is no different, but you're the guest. They're ingratiating themselves to you for personal gain."

"Be that as it may," Ada said. "There's little to be lost in being a gracious guest. I thank you for doing your best to care for us."

"As I walk." Celeste smiled at the girl. "But that's not what you really want to talk about, is it?"

"No." Ada wasn't surprised Celeste saw through her. "Arakash, go outside. Stay nearby, don't eavesdrop, don't cause trouble."

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

"I'm afraid I have to object. Leaving you alone with her could be dangerous." It was an edge case in terms of what his binding required of him, but he could justify a belief that there was a danger in saying too much to a foreign agent. "If you reveal something sensitive-"

"I assure you, it won't be more sensitive than having a noctrel as a bodyguard," Ada countered. "This is personal, not business. Now go."

Arakash twitched as he sought any further argument to support his cause, but in his goal was meant to benefit himself, not her. "As you command, Princess." It appeared the daeva's positive reputation was stronger than he could erode in so short a time. He hoped there would be further opportunities of attack, but for now he accepted defeat and left.

Celeste offered a soft smile; she'd had centuries to practice the fine art of comforting others, and put it to full effect. "I presume this relates to Shiara?"

For a moment, Ada hesitated at the insight Celeste showed. "I suppose it is obvious."

"You've seemed troubled since she departed at the park." She closed her eyes, a gesture meant to engender peace. "It was not my place to speak, but if you wish to, I like to believe I'm a good listener."

She'd learned of late that it was easiest to take the fastest path through. "She kissed me."

"Ah." Celeste suspected something of that nature.

"Ah? Just, ah?" She didn't know what she expected, but it wasn't 'ah.' "What do you think?"

"What I think doesn't matter," Celeste said. "What matters is how you feel."

"Confused." Ada had no context to draw from. "Why did she kiss me? Why would she want to kiss me?"

"You are close to her age and she seems to have developed feelings for you during your time together." She still wasn't certain when the two met; it must have been recent, given their differing cultural traits and attitudes toward the world. "I imagine there are many who would want to do the same, given the circumstances."

"But we're both girls."

"That's how some people are." Celeste was getting a feel for how isolated Ada's life must have been growing up. It seemed history wished to repeat itself in the cruelest way conceivable. "Some women prefer other women, and some men prefer other men. It's unusual, but gather enough humans together and you'll find behaviors far more odd than that."

"Oh." It was something to think about. "What about you?"

"Daeva are... one of the more unusual ones." How sheltered was this girl, Celeste wondered. "We have no desire to kiss anyone, man or woman. I'm sure you've heard we are chaste beings. That is not a sacrifice on our part, but a simple lack of purpose. Lust is not in our nature, and we are incapable of progeny."

"I'm sorry." Ada had known daeva were magical beings, but she hadn't realized the extent to which applied.

"Do not be. It is impossible to miss that which I have never known, and I feel the benefits outweigh the drawbacks." This was a conversation she'd had numerous times in the past, sometimes with would-be suitors. Though the conversation was more involved where the suitors were concerned. "While we can never know the joy of children born of our flesh, so too will we never know the ravages of age, disease, or infirmity. It is by violence alone a daeva is extinguished."

Trial and error done long ago had taught her not to mention the many other benefits to daeva physiology. In part because no one liked a braggart, but even in clinical discussion she found that many people fell prey to jealousy and resentment when the topic was discussed at length.

"That's a lot to consider."

"It is," Celeste agreed. "But it is not yours to concern yourself with. You have your own problems, and one of them includes a friend who I'm certain is more upset at herself than she is at you right now. She'll come back when she feels she's ready."

Adageyudi was taken back by that statement. "How do you know?"

A sad smile crossed Celeste's lips before she converted centuries of hard-earned wisdom in one sentence. "She wouldn't be much of a friend if I'm wrong."

Ada smiled as well. "Thank you."

Celeste felt the genuine gratitude, so much deeper than the mere politeness of before. "But there's nothing to be done tonight. You should deal with one of the other annoyances in being human. Get some rest, you'll need your focus tomorrow."

"What about you and Arakash?"

"I've brought some light reading. Perhaps I'll let him borrow a book. How do you think he'll enjoy A Treatise on Silmid Healing Techniques as Documented by Cor Tanil?"

Ada laughed in genuine amusement. She'd been forced to read one of the famed scholar's works when learning the basics of healing magic, and couldn't for the life of her understand how the man found the time to do medicine in between writing page after rambling page of eye-straining medical text. "Even he doesn't deserve that fate. I might consider it as a threat for later, however."

"Poor Tanil, his mind so full of ideas that he had no room left for people." A wry chuckle left her throat. "I tried to convince him to consider the possibility that people were every bit as fascinating as his science, and all I got was a six hour conversation on how to replace human body parts with machines to make them better in every way."

"You knew him?"

"In passing. He was an important figure back then, while I was little more than a child who imagined she could change the war as a battlefield medic. Now go to bed, and perhaps I'll tell you more about it some day."

"I look forward to it."

Celeste left the room with a smile on her face. There were still many troubles on the horizon, but for the first time since she heard about the Isylan princess of Tyras, she felt hope that the future was more than a tragedy waiting to occur.

Princess Adageyudi stared at the ceiling and wondered about her own future, and hoped Shiara was safe and warm. Then she smiled and reminded herself that a lack of warmth wasn't a concern for Shiara.

Shiara stared up at the sky, and wondered if she could for one moment in her life have something without destroying it.

And Arakash? Arakash waited, watched, and planned.