Day 7

The morning rapidly became a blur of activity. Trying to sift years' worth of training and knowledge to determine just what might happen at the ball. At the same time, we had to prepare. It was not just the complexity of dressing correctly. First, we had to tend to any blemishes that had appeared since that last preparation that we had gone through. Back then we had had a multitude of servants who each specialised in the required skills, today we only had ourselves. We had been trained to achieve the required results without servants, but it was worse Fonial was of no help, and had in one short week accumulated more imperfections than either Lara or myself had accumulated in a year. At least the healers had ensured that he was as close to perfect health as he could be. Given that his birth in the universe was only days old, that was an impressive level of perfection. But we had to remove every scar, callus, hair that was in the wrong place, even out his skin tone. Standing around with all of us naked gave the idiot ideas. While his wandering hands were moving across my skin and triggering a deep-seated heat. Now was not the time or place.

Both Lara and I started to become cross with him, but before that turned to anger he suddenly started to behave. While grateful, I missed the fliting touches. Maybe after the Ball, we would be feeling more frisky and his touches would be more welcome.

Finally, we were ready, Lara had gone quiet which was worrying. My life had been peaceful interludes marked by the inane chatter of Lara. When she went silent it was time to expect fireworks.

The trip to the ball was long and boring as we prominaded through the city. With a sudden realization, I understood. He would flinch at the most normal of activities, the world he had come from must have been very peaceful. That did not make much sense given his acceptance and sheer acceptance of a level of violence that was cold and clinic as if everything was not real.

His manipulation of the system was unusual in that he was from a Universe that was devoid of a system. The only time that the private histories of Sphinx have shown these types of abilities has been when the summoned had been pulled from a universe with a system that was similar to the one we live in.

Elizabeth had stuffed my head full of facts on that day that he and Lara had bonded. It had taken days for me to discover just how unusual he was. And now I had Lara in one of those quite apparently peaceful modes that always lead to explosions of conflict and disorder. I so disliked disorder, yet my life with Lara was punctuated with moments of what seemed madness at the time. And now I realized that everything that I had been taught about how to manage a man was likely useless.

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Finally, we reached the palace and moved through the doors to be announced. Lara was announced as normal, then the man. Lastly, it was my turn but as the master of ceremonies was about to announce my lowly status, Lara whispered something to him. Unusually I could not hear anything that was said. The Master of ceremonies' eyes popped, and his head flashed from bright red to the pale clammy skin of the dead. He then announced me as the Sister of Lara and a member of the inner sect.

I lost all track of space and time. My body operated by itself. My training meant that I was able to adjust to all the little things that my new rank required of me. Yet while we had talked about this day I had never actually expected it to come. I was well aware that the leadership of the sect would never approve of such a change of my status. But here it was. We moved in lock step with the required greetings and insults playing out with little variation. Then as we moved away from the last of the required greetings, Sema acted.

It was a play that we had discounted as too aggressive. Yet Lara responded with cool precision. Sema then attacked with her mind, she was a master of these attacks yet for once Lara was able to resist then as my energies flowed Fonial was given enough time to act. And the attack was blunted and quickly defeated.

Lara lost her temper, even if she looked completely in control. Forceful Touch spun Sema around and laid her out unconscious on the floor. Harold as expected took advantage of the situation and started the process of creating a duel that he would control. But as he moved Fonial acted and stepped between them absorbing a blow that should have shattered his jaw, with nothing more than a blink.

Everything moved faster and faster. A duel was called, with Fonial as the aggrieved party which gave him a lot more control than we expected him to have. Bretran acted as the second and showed an unusual amount of glee in the proceedings. Laughter sparkled in his eyes, as Harold's second lost control of the proceedings.

From there we moved outside to the dueling circles. And the duel started, and as fast ended. Fonial was the victor. He moved over Harold and with a quiet certitude uttered what only could be a prophecy. Lara and I were drained of some of our energies.

We promenaded around the floor of the ballroom until we had completed the minimum required attendance. My mind became clouded due to the change of status, and Fonial unexpected total victory in the duel. Once we reached the carriage we found Sema gift-wrapped on the floor.

Lara led the conversation as I felt a soft cloud of protection wrapped around the carriage. Within minutes Sema was our first bonded servant. We returned to the barracks to the expected attack. The numbers were much greater than expected, but civilized rules were still enforced. But our preparations were more complete than the attackers expected. Their numbers had broken whatever plan there was and they were slaughtered man and woman all.

Fanny and Robert had a moment. We slipped away to our room and sweet nothing of sleep.