“I was expecting tea,” Lady Indrin raised an eyebrow at the two guards, her blush-colored dress magically still dirt-free after the walk through the busy station to the small room. Her voluminous gown seemed to take over the room, obviously meant for much grander accommodations. The two guards shared a glance, and Benjamin found that he was glad that Luke was there as backup. This story was only believable with witnesses.

“Maybe they’ll have some at the station.”

“That’s alright, you needn’t be embarrassed by your tea selection. I’ll have a cup of gandrol,” she might have said that, but such a low-class tea was only palatable with sugar. She hoped they did have that, it was becoming increasingly more common with the duke taking over the fields, “with two cubes of sugar if you have it, please.” If there was no sugar, she could always find some way to throw out the tea. She deemed guiding these two through proper social protocol more important. What would happen the next time they meet a noble otherwise?

Benjamin sighed, for all her that her delusions were the weirdest thing, Indrin had some sort of charm to her. The holding room was also two steps away from the break room where he knew they kept tea somewhere, not that anyone drank any with coffee around. Or that anyone drank that weird concoction unless they were desperate when there were so many better brews around. Giving her a drink now would probably also help her withdrawal later.

“I think we have some mint tea in the back, I’ll see if I can set anything up before you come get picked up.”

“Mint? I’ve never heard of that flavor before. You, Benjamin, are full of surprises. I don’t suppose there’s anywhere to sit down and enjoy a cup?”

“No, I don’t suppose there is.” Luke rolled his eyes at her and stepped closer to Benjamin, “what are you doing, she’s crazy, not someone to have tea with!”

“Calm down, it’s just tea. If she gets picked up before I finish making it, it just means I have a cup to take home with me. You know how Kayla has been bothering me about my coffee habits.”

Indrin, though, was affronted. Being in mourning was not reason enough to treat her so rudely. She’d never been treated like that her whole life, the only reason she knew these rules was because they were taught to her by tutors. Rolling her eyes at her and taking her to perhaps one of the worst sitting rooms she’d ever been in, seeing as it had no seats, and whispering about her? But a lady had to be calm and strike when the moment was right, and if Lady Indrin was anything, she was a Lady.

“Are you and Benjamin in mourning for the same person? They seem to have gifted you many things,” Indrin noticed Luke’s identical uniform. Blithely, she continued, “I’ve already given him my condolences, so you’ll have to discuss it with him if he decides to share it with you.”

“And what would I do with these condolences, my fair lady?” Luke sniggered, deciding to play along. He leaned back on the wall and crossed his arms, careful not to let his short curly hair touch it by leaning forward. He was very particular about his hair and absolutely certain he didn’t want the station wall to touch it.

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“Tax reduction, moving into the inner rings, work recommendations, I’ve even heard some person exchanged a condolence for an academy scholarship! It was a condolence from the princess, though. Isa is a lot more conservative with them-”

“Wait, let me get this straight. You are friends with a princess, have never heard of mint, and your condolences are worth something?” Luke counted each offense on a finger, his voice lilting as he tried to hold in his laughter.

“Let me try to understand this, then, you’re impressed with princesses and not a daughter of the Duke of Rollechester?” Lady Indrin giggled, only the years of strict etiquette study holding her back from bursting into her signature, altogether unladylike, rolling laughter. Princesses were a dime in a dozen while she was by far the most eligible lady in the country, if not the continent.

“I suppose you’re looking for proof too?” She blinked prettily at him, her signature purple eyes on full display while Luke looked at the poor woman apparently losing her mind. He regretted speaking up, he should have known better. People like her… people like her didn’t need more trouble coming their way. They had enough on their plates. Getting up from his rest on the table he tried to think of ways to calm the woman down.

“Alright, you’re a Lady, I believe you. Friends with the princess. Of course,” he put both hands up in a placating manner. He was looking at her face so intently he almost missed her coin pouch unfurling itself from her waste.

“No, no, it’s quite alright. Such a claim should be verified, even if it’s made by me,” another fit of giggles overtook the poor Lady Indrin, her face turning in horror as a small snort escaped her. She had thought the habit had been taken care of but was evidently proven wrong when faced with such a weird situation. Someone not believing her about such manners never happened. People were more likely to overblow her importance than anything else. She knew Isa got asked about her a lot more often than she was asked about her, or any of the other princesses she knew for that matter.

Reaching into her coin pouch floating next to her in midair she let her signet ring fly out into her hand. Her father had it made for her when she had gotten accepted into the academy at seventeen. In the center was her personal symbol, a lily that glowed purple to her magical senses. Surrounding it were ingrained waves with so much ingrained magic in them even somebody without magic could see a slight white glow. That was the symbol of the Duke.

Donning it now on her pinky made Indrin happy, she knew he would come for her. Even in the heat of battle, the Duke made time for Indrin. She truly was lucky. Feeling his signature feeling of water wash over her with the ring in her hand, Indrin almost forgot where she was. But good times can never last, and Luke’s choking sounds snapped her out of her contended reverie and back to the real world. Or however real this world could be, her magical senses didn’t register anything at all, making her doubt the whole thing altogether just a bit.

“That’s a floating coin purse.” Luke’s hands were at his hips, his right hand precariously tense and next to his taser, ready to swing into action. Lady Indrin blinked at him.

“Indeed, I’m sure you’ve seen one before,” she left the purse hanging in space next to her and reached her right hand forward, proudly displaying the golden ring situated on it. “Here’s your proof, Lady Indrin of Rollechester, daughter of the Duke, and your current ward.”