When we left the throne room we found a servant waiting for us. “Lady Amaya, Lady Lucy.” He bowed. “Archmage Beira invites you to have lunch with her.”

So much for us visiting the city. It was also curious that we were both invited. Maybe Beira thought it would increase the chance that I said yes. Or it was just polite. Then again, maybe she did want to discuss things with Lucy as well.

“What do you think, Lucy?” I asked.

“We both know she got you with the offer of food. Let’s go.” She teased.

She was also not wrong. Food was a great lure. Especially considering what I had experienced so far in the palace.

“We accept, please lead the way.” I told the servant.

As we followed the nicely dressed man I wondered if this could be a trap. But it would take a lot of power to overwhelm us both. That the invitation included Lucy made me think it really was an offer to have some food and a conversation.

We were led through nicely decorated hallways deeper into the palace. I wondered if Beira had a tower. I saw several from the outside. Why did mages like towers so much in stories? Maybe they just enjoyed the view. We were certainly going to the upper floors.

We ended up in front of a nice arched door. It was made from dark wood and decorated in various runes. The servant knocked and a maid opened. She wore a long black dress with a white apron. She also had red hair and some freckles. Interestingly, I did not see a slave collar on her. Was that a deliberate decision to sway us?

“Welcome to mistress Beira’s home. Please follow me. The chef has prepared some appetisers.”

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We were led to a nice balcony overlooking one of the gardens. We were on the 3rd floor and the view reminded me again just how massive this palace was. There was a round table big enough for six people but it was only set for three.

“Please take a seat, mistress Beira will be here shortly.”

We sat down and I wasted no time inspecting the offerings. There were several types of small sandwiches. I also saw some dates wrapped in crispy bacon. Several fried balls were also present but I had no idea what they contained. I decided to try one and was greeted with melted cheese and pieces of chilli. Delicious.

While I tried various items, Beira arrived. “Greetings, I am happy that you both accepted my invitation.”

I shrugged. “We had no real plans for today and I was curious.”

“Hello Beira, we did not have a chance to talk at the party.” Lucy said. It was a not so subtle reminder at her hasty retreat.

“Apologies. It was not because of you, lady Lucy. The area was simply not suitable for a proper discussion.”

I raised an eyebrow. “So you were uncomfortable talking about the emperor with the inquisition listening in? And your quarters are more secure I assume?”

Beira smiled. “Exactly. The advantage of being the court mage is that I can ward my own area to prevent others from listening. I am not allowed to do that for official functions.”

“So what did you want to talk about?” I wondered.

“Ah, first a question. Lady Lucy, might I inquire about your power? I heard that you are proficient in the arcane arts. Are you a mage? Or a sorceress, like Amaya?”

“Just Lucy is fine. I don’t care about titles. And I am a warlock actually.”

Beira looked surprised. “A warlock? Is your patron allied with the Dominion?”

Lucy smiled. “Don’t worry about my patron, I make my own decisions.”

“I see.” Beira looked thoughtful and a bit sceptical. “You must be very fortunate. Not many creatures give their agents free rein.”

“So you want to discuss magic with us?” I asked.

“In a way, yes.” Beira answered. “One thing I have always admired about the Dominion is how you embrace magic. You have a lot more academies and a truly impressive collection of spells.”

“If you are looking for access to the elven libraries you are talking to the wrong person.” I said.

“It is not about that. Night elves have a long line of queens that all possess a lot of magical power. Usually a bloodline weakens over time, unless it is reinforced by both parents having it. And as far as I can tell that has not been the case concerning the night elf monarchy. I would love to study Loriel’s blood but she has denied me.”

No sane person would give power hungry mage their blood. Of course Loriel denied that request.

“You are not asking us to get her blood, are you?” I asked.

“No, that would be wrong.” Beira answered.