Prince Jaeson's public arrival in the Imperial City set the guests of the Seraglio into a frenzy. Even the likes of the shy Lady Lanna was exerting considerable effort to stand out and leave a lasting impression.

Far too late, all of it.

Rather than worry over such a senseless thing, Mydea visited Lady Lara of the House Eminent Luxuria. As a High Stewardess of the Seraglio, her residence was within the palace itself though she was no would-be consort.

A shame too, Mydea couldn’t help but think while looking at her. The signature spell cultivated by House Luxuria showed in her flawless bronze skin and her sculpted face. Even in the early hours of the morning, when many had yet to finish putting themselves together, Mydea could hardly find flaw with Lara. Many had killed for the favor of a Luxuria, and doubtless many more would if every mage of that house was as beautiful to behold.

Lara led her across a floor of fine furs, and a wave of her hand signaled a vivid painting to play a tune for them. It was a composition from Old Ilyos, and the instruments looked to Mydea like the lyre and aulos and an ancient looking harp. She could sense a subtle working within the tune—something to garble their voices or prevent others from overhearing? A more elegant solution than her own wind barriers.

“Thank you for seeing me, Lady Lara,” Mydea began after they sat across from each other. While it was part of her duties as a High Stewardess, it never hurt to be polite to those in power. Her room was a testament to that, filled with many glittering trinkets, bottles of myrrh and perfume, and an intricate tapestry of foreign make. It was impossible to say how many of these things were gifted by suitors, and how many as inducements for favors.

“Think nothing of it,” Lara said as a maid of hers served them a colorful medley of oranges peeled like a budding rose, Duneland dates, slices of cantaloupe, melon, and apples red, green, and gold. Only in Aelisium could such an assortment of fresh fruits from across the Empire be seen together. "I can’t say I was expecting any company this morning, certainly not from a candidate for Prince Jaeson’s hand. I’d thought you’d all be too busy with other matters.”

"Panicking over the prince, you mean," Mydea said.

"First impressions are important.”

"They are," Mydea agreed with a tip of her head, "and they cannot be taken back."

Considering her formal posting at court, and being a blood relation of the Empress through her maternal line, Lady Lara was sure to be in the Empress' confidence. She'd been trusted enough to escort Tomas—-no, Jaeson home from Aigis after all.

In hindsight, it was obvious. In the eyes of the public, it was hardly fitting for a woman of Lara's status to be tasked with escorting a valet. A prince's valet to be sure, but still a servant. Neither could they just leave Jaeson stranded at the borders of the Deeplands with the Tuskar raids about to commence. Hence, Mydea’s invitation to Aelisium. She was the excuse to bring Jaeson safely home.

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It was always schemes within schemes in this castle on a cloud.

Mydea shook her head. “I’ve heard word from back home,” she said. Father had written to her again through his journal—something which she now checked upon daily upon learning of that possibility. He remained tight-lipped as ever about deciphering his script, and urged her to return at every possible instance.

Father would get his wish at last.

“Good news, I hope?”

“Not all of it,” Mydea said. It seemed the very day after the Empress’ masquerade, a great battle was had with the Tuskar. A battle Aspyr had won, but not without cost. “My brother Aspyr was stabbed in the arm by a mythuselah.”

“Is it cursed?” Lara asked, brows furrowing in concern.

“It likely is, though I do not believe his life to be in immediate peril,” Mydea said. “Healing spells haven’t stopped the bleeding, and the medicians have had to stitch up his wound instead. It’s deep enough that he cannot hold up his shield.” For a man meant to lead Kolchis in more battles and soon, the danger couldn’t be more pronounced. “That’s why I asked you to meet with me today. I wish to petition the Empress to grant me leave, as soon as possible.”

Lara’s full lips settled into a frown. “Prince Jaeson has only just arrived and you’ve been here for less than a fortnight.”

“Matters back home may turn urgent,” Mydea said. She had not forgotten her purpose coming to this very city—to keep her family safe.

With Aspyr’s injury, the risks to his life were unbearably high, especially if the intensity of the first seasonal raids was any indication of the rest. The vassals would hold for now while morale was high, fresh from triumph and with a mythuselah captive, but they would not hold forever without a visible leader at so dangerous a time. As Aspyr’s sister, and as his lady advocate, Mydea was the perfect choice to step in for him while he recovered. As if preordained by the gods, even the sluggishness of her magic after her blood offering had faded now.

She only needed to be there instead of here.

Lara reached the same conclusions she did. “Could your father not lead?”

Mydea bit her lip. “It’s out of the question.” Father did not act within the rules of the stoneborn, and so the stoneborn would not follow him.

“Once you leave, it is not likely you will be invited back,” Lara warned. “I know you are close to Tomas, but he cannot help as much as you’d think.”

Mydea smiled. “We do not live in a maiden’s tale, Lady Lara. Marriage to a prince was never an option for me.”

“You may come to regret it,” Lara said.

“I think I would regret mourning my kin more,” Mydea answered. Of this, she was sure as the seasons. What reason would the Empress have to keep her in the city now that her purpose had been served?

Lara sighed, and nodded. “I can bring it up privately with Her Highness, but I cannot make any promises on her behalf. For a candidate to leave so soon is unusual to say the least.”

“All I ask is that you ask,” Mydea said. Were she to broach this with the Empress herself in court, it might take weeks for the petition to be heard—like what had happened to Aspyr when he’d sought confirmation of Kolchis’ status as a house external. Considering the Empress’ eventual response, some of that delay was deliberate stalling, and the same could very well happen to her now.

“I’ll be a little saddened to see you go, I must admit,” Lara said.

“My offer to you still stands, you know,” Mydea said.

“To see your Snowscorn foaling. I remember,” Lara said. “I also remember that would not be for some months at least. Much can happen in that time.”