“How about a party, Lumière?”
Ainsworth and Lumière sat at the table in the dining room of the monastery, eating at a table that had long-been replaced after the attack.
“A party? For what reason would we celebrate?”
“Living, perhaps.” Ainsworth chuckled, sipping on a cup of steaming liquid. “Our comrades will be released from the cathedral’s hospital ward soon. Isn’t that enough reason to celebrate?”
Lumière smiled. “Perhaps you’re right. It’s been far too long since this monastery was lively. But if it’s just us and the White Roses, won’t it be a little too quiet?”
“Then who do you suggest we invite? The criminal group you love associating with?”
“To start. I was thinking we could also invite the craftsmen from the Church of the Eternal Blueprint, those who serve the Lady of Architecture.”
“Of course, we can’t forget to invite those witches and warlocks from the outlier sects outside of Leiden. They would feel left out.” Ainsworth jested in return.
The two shared a laugh, relaxing for the first time in a long time. Lumière slumped back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling as he lit a cigarette, a Callstet, the most popular branding. It was uncharacteristic of him, but it had become habit when he had time. Of course, he knew that smoking would kill him. But then again, so would his plans to take down the Phantom Syndicate, his game with the King in White, and being caught by the church for being the servant of an evil Deity. His health twenty years from that moment was the least of his worries.
“Who will you really invite?” Lumière let out a chuckle, blowing a thick cloud of smoke out of his lips.
“Of course, there are some guests that we can’t stop from attending. Heaven’s Roses have some associates in the lower borough. I think I’ll invite them.”
His brow raised upwards, curious. “Do we really have associates here? I imagined it was only criminals and wretches down here.”
Ainsworth nodded his head. “Of particular note, we have a seamstress Guild that is very particular about working out of the lower borough due to the abundance of moisture. Supposedly, the type of thread they use to sew our uniforms is very prone to drying out as it is worked. Besides them, the Church’s blacksmithing Guild is responsible for making our bladed weapons.”
“I’ve never seen either of them around.”
“None of us have. That’s because the church keeps the location of their craftsmen very secretive. Due to their nature, they also work closely with the Church of the Eternal Blueprint, and so their safety becomes doubly a concern. Because of the recent
“Why is it that the Nameless avoid the lower borough?”
“Those parasitic creatures want to inhabit strong, able bodies, not the weak withered forms of wretches.” Ainsworth explained. “For that reason, it makes the lower borough a perfect hideout to protect the craftsmen from them.”
“So, they’ll be in attendance at this party of yours?” Lumière laughed. “Sounds like I’ll be making some new friends.”
So, a few days later, when the White Roses had returned, Lumière and Ainsworth threw a party for them at the monastery. Lumière had been able to come up with a feasible lie pertaining to his contacts with the mercantile industry, specifically Alain Monroe, in order to get Ainsworth to accept the money he had acquired from recent ventures. So, the party was a bit more extravagant than they were used to. While Lumière had attended many banquets in the past, invited as a magician, he had rarely been given the opportunity to enjoy them himself. So, it was a celebration for him too.
He stood at the side of the room, sipping on a glass of bitter alcohol while smiling. It was enjoyable to see a room full of happy people. Recently, it had become a rarity.
Ramses, whose hand was still bandaged to maintain the medical work that had been done to accommodate his lost fingers, approached Lumière with a smile. He showed no sign of weariness, and gave off a genial and pleasant aura as he always had. Lumière smiled in return as he approached. “It’s been a week, hasn’t it, my friend? I’m glad you’ve recovered well.”
“I don’t think any of us would have had the chance to recover if you hadn’t delayed that monster 'Asmodeus' for so long, we surely would have perished. Did you realise that the Archangel was coming?”
“Not at all. I was betting on Nicole’s powers doing the job. That was the whole purpose of the distraction.” Of course, it was a half-truth. He had suspected that someone powerful was nearby due to how the creatures around him began to act. Moreover, they had managed to send out a call for help, so Lumière knew it was only a matter of time before someone arrived to save them.
“Ah! So that’s why those creatures suddenly died! I didn’t realise our little Nicole was that powerful!” Ramses glanced over to Nicole as he spoke, who was standing idly by a table as he enjoyed a plate of food. His gaze widened as he heard his name, and looked over towards the two inquisitively. As they saw the young boy who had been stuffing his face with food like a little mouse, they couldn’t help but laugh.
“Well, we’re not here to talk about sad things today, are we? It’s a day of celebration!” Lumière laughed. “Please, enjoy yourself Ramses. There’s more than enough food and drink to go around.”
As he walked through the crowd of unfamiliar faces, he was stopped by Nicole, who had been talking to Midas and Cornifer, who both looked at him with faces of uncertainty. Lumière could understand that their moods had soured towards him. After all, his plan had gotten the leader they admired killed. Ramses probably thought the same, but he was too kind to admit so outwardly, and Nicole was far too servile to his alternate identity to care of such a thing.
As Lumière walked past his comrades, he ruminated.
‘I’ve been running around constantly to keep up my lies. My wits have been stretched thin. Trying to hunt down the Phantom Syndicate, and playing the persona of ‘Ophelia’ to facilitate that… playing the King in White’s game, and trying to tiptoe around Heaven’s Roses and Selaphiel while simultaneously being the servant of Lord Sinner… my life has truly become far too complicated in the past couple months.’ In the middle of the party, sipping on whatever light alcohol remained in his glass, Lumière felt his body finally relax. For one moment, he felt he didn’t have to run around keeping up his lies. ‘For a moment, I can rest. Now that Nicole knows ‘Lumière Croft’ is not always ‘Ophelia’, I can act normally around him. He’ll just think it’s a pretense to keep the secret. Why is being a liar so complicated? I’m tired of thinking…’
He began to converse with strangers he had never even met before. Because he was wearing his attire as a White Rose, they immediately recognised his affiliation, and so weren’t averse to holding conversation with him. He learned many things from the representatives of the Blacksmith’s and Seamstress’s Guilds. For instance, he learned that the Blacksmiths had played a part in the building of Etten-Leur so long ago, the architecture plans having been a bestowment from the Church of the Eternal Blueprint’s Goddess, the Architect.
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Soon after, Ainsworth beckoned to him, a woman at his side.
“Lumière, this is an associate of ours, a close friend. You must meet her, come.” Ainsworth smiled, leading Lumière along through the room.
She had dark brown curly hair that fell against her neck, with dark brown eyes that glistened like smoky quartz. Her clothes, although not entirely fanciful, were perfectly and seamlessly tailored. Of course, that much was expected of a masterful Seamtress from her Guild.
However, contrary to Ainsworth’s expectations, this was someone Lumière had already met before. “Ms. Mortan, it’s a pleasure to see you once more. It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it?”
Hauna Mortan was the daughter of a skilled Seamstress in the lower borough. It wasn’t too much of a surprise to Lumière that she was associated with the Seamstress’s Guild. However, she had played a far more important role in Lumière’s life, insofar as to save it. She was the one who had sewn his intricately-woven coat of tricks. If he hadn’t the hidden pockets he stored items in on the day that he first signed the Sinner’s Contract and fought the Nameless creature, he may have died then and there.
She smiled pleasantly, surprised. “I’m quite shocked that you would remember me after all this time, Mr. Croft. I’ve been quite eager to follow up with you all this time.”
“I’m quite happy to say that your handiwork has served me well for so long, and it has held up wonderfully. There was never really a need to mend it. The material was wonderfully sewn together.”
“I’m so happy to hear that. Your piece was one I put my utmost effort into. After all, if my work is to be displayed on a stage in front of so many people, then I would have to be sure it’s one of my best. Now, it seems you’ve switched career paths. I’m both happy and worried for you.”
“With the assistance we receive from your Guild, there’s no need to worry.” Ainsworth commented from the side. “We’ll surely be safe with your masterful works, so don’t be too anxious.”
She turned to him, nervously smiling. “Still, having seen those creatures at work, you’ll never stray far from my heart’s wishes. I’ll wish upon the veridian star for your safe return every night.”
Father Benedict nodded his head, repeating a familiar mantra, a prayer to the Goddess. “Underneath her Crown, we find our strength.”
Hauna Mortan nodded her head in agreement. She then turned back to Lumière, parting her lips to speak out once more. However, her throat choked up in anticipation, and she responded in a meek, soft tone. “Lumière, I wonder if you wouldn’t mind accompanying me to bed?”
Lumière’s face flushed, and Ainsworth spit out the drink he had been sipping on.
‘Did she misspeak?’ As Lumière looked over at the woman, he saw that her face welled up with embarrassment. So, he spoke out to try to calm her, but his throat choked up as well. The words he wished to speak erased themselves from his mind, new ones left in their place.
“That sounds fantastic. My room might be a little small, but we can use the Father’s instead.” He smiled. His lips curling up felt like agony on his skin, and so he immediately understood the situation.
‘Really? On a day like today, and so soon?’
Lumière instinctively glanced upwards. Through the stained-glass window in the main hall, he could see the amused face of the King in White laughing at him from afar. He had been controlling them.
‘Is this the type of game you wish to play, White? I thought we were to kill each other, not play petty tricks.’ While he was annoyed, he also felt slightly amused. ‘You’re almost too clownish to be viewed as a nobleman. How hilarious is it, to be part of a battle between a magician and a clown masquerading as kings?’
Lumière glanced over towards Father Benedict, handing him his drink. “I’ll be right back, Ains.”
“Drink a little too much, have you?” Father Benedict’s face had warped considerably, confused by the conversation between the two. However, he had long learned never to question Lumière’s antics, and so it seemed completely normal.
“Perhaps.” Lumière winked. After he had made his excuses to Ainsworth and Hauna Mortan, as well as waving off Nicole who tried to follow behind him, sensing that something was the matter, Lumière adjourned upstairs alone. He waltzed through the hall, eventually coming to a door he used to enjoy walking past. He took a deep breath, loathe to hesitate, and stepped through. Elise’s room had been cleared out prior to Meraline’s arrival. However, now that the White Roses leader had also died, the room remained empty.
Lumière stepped through the room, opening the far window where Elise had loved to sit and reminisce, climbing out onto the slanted rooftop of the monastery. At the end of the rooftop, looking over the processions, Lumière saw the familiar face of a King.
“White, have you grown so lonely you have to visit me only a day after we’ve last met? Or have you come to kill me this time?”
“I’m just sowing seeds, Black. Pay no mind to me.” Orion had a sinister, pleased grin on his face. “However, I’ll admit I did think once or twice about forcing your comrades to attack you. It would have been hilarious.”
“I’m sure.” Lumière sighed. “Don’t you know, there are some powerful people nearby. You wouldn’t want to get caught. It would be doubly precarious for me if I were to seen being associated with you.”
“Oh, who is your friend here? Has he been invited to attend these processions?”
A deep voice suddenly rang out behind them. Lumière’s body instinctively froze. He looked out of the corner of his eye, and seeing the figure behind him, his heart dropped. At the same time, Orion chuckled under his breath. He definitely didn’t imagine they would have been interrupted on the rooftop. He wondered what perspective the man who interrupted them had. Did he think them suspicious colluders, or did he imagine he had intruded on some secretive love affair? Both options made him laugh.
It was Selaphiel, the Archangel from the Church of the Crown of Thorns. While Lumière knew he could continue to lie to the powerful being successfully, he was still very much a powerful being. Lumière could tell he didn’t equate to Thomas’s power, and certainly not the Joker’s, which meant that he was likely underneath the Zenith Boundary. This meant that if it truly became dangerous, and all was lost, he could call Thomas to his aid and have a reasonable chance at escaping. Of course, this would mean abandoning his identity and life with his friends. However, survival remained paramount.
‘What is he doing here!?’ Lumière’s thoughts began to race. ‘Not even the Blue Roses were invited. What is an Archangel of the church doing in the lower borough!?'
“I’m a friend of Lumière’s.” Orion smiled, immediately playing a role as if it were second nature to act. After all, at his core, he was a nobleman who often had to portray a genial appearance for the sake of his House’s honour. “I had an item to return to him from a prior engagement. He said that any time was fine, and so I just happened to intrude on your party. I have to offer my deepest apologies. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
“It’s strange. All of Lumière’s associates tend to be interesting people. However, to date, I’ve never seen him associate with the head of a noble family.”
Orion glanced at Selaphiel, a bit amused. ‘So, he knows who I am? That makes this dance of lies quite difficult, doesn’t it? I hope the career liar can play along well enough.’
Orion reached into his pocket, which to his surprise, didn’t cause the man to flinch. He was expectant that anyone who proceeded with the slightest bit of caution would step back as a stranger reached into their jacket, but the man standing in front of him seemed unmoved, uncaring. It only made him enjoy the amusement of the situation that much more. When he pulled his hand out of his jacket, he was holding a black chess piece in his hand. “Recently, we played a game together. This was supposed to be a token of remembrance for my dear friend, but he seemed to have forgotten it in his haste.” Orion tossed the chess piece over to Lumière, who caught it and slipped it into his pocket immediately after.
“Why would I want a remembrance of my loss, dear friend?” Lumière could barely contain his laughter, despite the circumstances. “Did you really come all this way just to rub salt into the wound?”
“Oh, of course not, dear friend. In fact, I was really hoping we could play out another game. The last was really quite entertaining.” Orion, the same, desperately tried to keep it together. However, seeing the Archangel’s faltering expression, he knew he couldn’t keep joking around too much. So, he decided to reveal just a bit of his life, in hopes that it would make their friendship seem feasible. After all, the man standing before him had already revealed that he knew about his identity as a nobleman. “Recently, I’ve been left with some free time. You know it’s that time of year when all High Noble houses gather for a conference in the capital, right?”
“I’m somewhat aware. Shouldn’t that be something you attend as the head of your family?”
“My younger brother recently mentioned his desire to learn more about the inner workings of noble responsibility. So, this year I allowed him to go in my place. Of course, my attendants are managing the Callister estate. I’ve been allowed free time to roam as I please.”
Orion turned towards Selaphiel. “Kind Sir, I wonder if you would like to join us? This game is best played with more than two, after all.”
Selaphiel raised an eyebrow, curious. “It sounds quite interesting. If you wouldn’t mind having me, then I would love to join.”
Lumière looked at Orion as if he were a madman. He wondered if the nobleman truly knew who he was speaking to. He thought that someone who had already delved deep into the magical world would be able to realise the strength of the person in front of them.
Still, a lie must be kept up. So Lumière nodded his head.
“Let’s all play a game, then.”