"Repeat after me: I, Kaid, do solemnly swear, to uphold and protect the values of Vitross, its Empress, and people. My duty comes first to the people of Vitross, and second to the Empress. I will lay down my life if called upon for my Empire. All these things I do as a Guardian of Vitross, may the Divines guide me," Payne spoke, looking Kaid in the eye.

Payne had not interacted much with Kaid since the incident with Lilah, but there wasn't as much animosity stemming from before. While the two men would always still dislike each other, they now had to work together for a common goal: protecting Jessamine. Payne could and would not dismiss the idea Kaid was not worthy of such a position, much like the rest of the Vitross delegates felt. Kaid had earned his place despite all odds.

"I, Kaid, do solemnly swear, to uphold and protect the values of Vitross, its Empress, and people. My duty comes first to the people of Vitross, and second to the Empress. I will lay down my life if called upon for my Empire. All these things I do as a Guardian of Vitross, may the Divines guide me," Kaid repeated, his voice stern and firm as he held those words with true belief.

Jessamine stood above him on the steps to her throne, her face serious but her eyes were filled with a relief and joy Kaid couldn't really explain. For once, she didn't look tired, exhausted by the work load or stressing about her next venture. She was calm, direct, and overall wishing she could express the joy she had knowing this man would be her Guardian, protect her and be by her side.

"I acknowledge you as my new Guardian, Kaid. It is the highest honor anyone in Vitross can receive and you have well earned your stature. You are now also a part of the Counselor of Jurors where your thoughts and opinions will be heard. We want you as an active part of handling this Empire," Jessamine spoke, her voice soft and sweet, "we are all here to help you transition you into this position, should you need it."

"Thank you, Empress," Kaid nodded his head, doing his best not to smile, or stare anywhere near her lips.

"You can speak with the bladesmith regarding your blade of choice later this afternoon. Our first action this morning is your first Meeting of Jurors," Payne spoke, immediately cutting to the chase which surprised Jessamine. She thought she'd at least be able to enjoy the morning and the moment, but it was back to work as usual. Kaid was a bit surprised it would only be minutes as a Guardian and he'd learn as much as he could.

He would still take Cadize's advice: listen, and only speak when asked. This was all about figuring out how this worked, and seeing a side to the staff he wouldn't see elsewhere. Maybe he'd finally understand why Jessamine kept Payne around, or at least acknowledge his helpfulness. Payne led the way to the meeting chamber, Kaid lingering back before noticing the Empress halt her steps slightly, moving to walk beside him.

"How is the leg?" she asked, not seeing him limp or show signs of discomfort.

"Perfectly fine, Empress," he replied, seeing her want to roll her eyes.

"Amidst a conversation like this, Kaid, I expect you to speak to me as your friend, otherwise I will be calling you Lord Protector every chance I get. Are we clear?" she asked, her tone laced with seriousness but he knew by now when she was teasing. How she did it with such a straight face, he wasn't sure. But it did make him smile faintly.

"It's such an unnecessarily long title," Kaid sighed, knowing he would lose this battle if he chose to initiate it.

"And you should be proud to possess such an unnecessarily long title," she pointed out, "people dream about moments like this all their lives. But it's people like you and me that make our dreams into our realities."

Kaid's thought flashed back to this morning, when he awoke to the same recurring nightmare he'd have every once in a while. The one where he was in that throne room, just as he was moments ago, standing there and awaiting to be stabbed. Little details about the dream were different, but the ending was always the same. He didn't know why the dream came back, why it haunted him, or how to change it. It was a dream for certain he'd never wish to make a reality.

Payne opened the doors to the conference room, looking tired and honestly unimpressed. But the second this briefing would be over, he'd be back to lurking in the shadows and Kaid would now be the Empress's problem to handle, as it should have been. Jessamine moved to sit, Kaid pulling her chair out for her and she offered a thankful smile before he sat beside her.

"Kiev was invited but given the circumstances of the moment, I will brief him on this later to give him some respite," Payne spoke, seeing Bridger and Cadize follow in, sitting at the tables, "Kaid, everything said in here stays in here unless directed otherwise. There is information we do not share with Christine, Kassandra, or various staff and delegates, things even the city officials do not know unless they need to know. Is that understood?"

"Yes," Kaid nodded, knowing whatever was spoken in here would be very different from what he heard outside this palace.

"Good, let's begin. Lilah has been cooperative in the process of extracting more information on the Confederation. Their funding, as I've found out, comes from a small percentage of Lungor security funds. The Confederation, however, holds no allegiance to any empire or one person. Think of them as a band of highly selective mercenaries, all with various Oblivions and skills to achieve one common goal: overthrow the Vitross throne. The selection process is strict. The organization uses people like Lilah as pawns, not necessarily allowing them into their little syndicate, but enough to get a taste at their treachery.

"Given their extensive powers of Oblivion, it is believed these people originate or were derived from powerful aristocratic families that fell during Emperor Haas' reign during the handling of the famine. Mattias was directly linked to working with the Confederation, and perhaps our one good chance at learning more about them. Due to his escape, which seemed well planned and thought out, we know nothing from witnesses other than Lilah."

"So, she wasn't a direct member?" Jessamine asked, her hands held together below her chin in curiosity.

"No. Her want for revenge was not strong enough as they desired nor did it meet their qualifications. Her biggest cornerstone was revolving around Caladin. I did some research into the man who did kill her parents, and it was one of the very rare prisoners your father did send to Caladin. He died on his fifth Trial. Where she received news of him being 'released' was a false hope, perhaps by the Confederation as means of motivation. Lilah was a slave to them, a scapegoat for their crimes. Their networks run vast and far, but only few people really know their motivations," Payne answered.

"Given her cooperation, what is your recommendation to handle her?" Bridger asked, spinning an ink pen around in a circle out of boredom.

Payne paused for a moment, looking at Jessamine, "Execution. Public. We announce that we will not tolerate anyone who works or assists this Confederation and it will sway public opinion."

"Or result in more followers," Jessamine pointed out. While she remained calm, she had seen Kaid's reaction to the news. His stomach twisted upon Payne's suggestion, remembering all the times Lilah would laugh with those children, let them eat supper first before she even took a spoonful. She was a victim, not a perpetrator. She didn't deserve something like this.

"Jessamine may be right. Harsh punishments often are followed by harsh reactions," Cadize observed, "Kaid, you knew her best. What would you suggest?"

All eyes looked at him, eight full of curiosity and perspective, two knowing it would contradict what he wanted.

"Honestly, it feels like I didn't know her at all," Kaid exhaled, "knowing what I did observe, she wouldn't have even wanted to join this Confederation, it would have put her and the children at risk. Her motivation was purely met by money, money she desperately needed to keep afloat. We can judge all we want, sitting in hand carved wooden chairs and soft cushions, drinking wine more expensive than a fishing boat, but we will never know what it's like to work hard all day and have little to show for it."

"She made her choice, Kaid," Payne crossed his arms.

"And if we try to view it from her perspective, she felt like she didn't have a choice. Those are two very different points of view. People will always judge your choices, but there are moments where life doesn't give you one. Survival is a coin toss, you don't know the results until it's already flipped."

"So, what do you propose?" Bridger asked, Kaid a bit shocked he was already having to input so much opinion this quickly. He was an outsider, knew nothing about the culture of this place outside books. Yet they all seemed to want his perspective which Kaid knew already to be extremely polar to that of the man in charge.

"Hold off on executions for now. Start putting more ships at sea for trade, more than usual. If the Confederation is truly desperate to sink more, they'll find someone else to try and do their bidding quickly without preparation. But we don't arrest them, we tail them, follow the money. If we start arresting the scapegoats, they'll just find other people and we will never make a real difference. When our economy grows stronger, we use it to remove the temptations of the people capable of sabotaging," Kaid spoke, "what if we change the public opinion of Jessamine, remove the motivating factors the Confederation might be looking for?"

"You make it sound so easy, Kaid," Jess spoke, but was intrigued at his proposal.

"It's not. The one thing these people want in Vitross is to be heard. Their city delegates are not doing enough to do that. We all know they'd rather line their pockets and they'll continue to get elected because nobody else will stand up to them. So we cut them out, once a season. One day, four times a year, the people of Vitross can get an opportunity to enter the palace, voice their opinion to Jessamine, and explain their hardships-"

"That is a major security risk, Kaid. We can't just let anybody walk in here and get that close," Payne shook his head, as if knowing at that moment bringing Kaid in here was a very bad idea.

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"Look, Emperor Ramin did it centuries ago, and every history book labels his period of reign as peaceful and prosperous. He listened to his people and acted when needed. Jessamine hears her needs for the people from delegates that don't have the citizens best interests, nor their Empress'. If they can express their problems and Jessamine be proactive about it, public opinion will sway. The better the public opinion, the Confederation loses its grip here."

"Emperor Ramin was assassinated by a beggar in the street, or did you not get that far in your history lessons?" Payne derided.

Jessamine raised her hand slightly, motioning them to be silent and calm themselves, "As you can see, while we now argue with our newest member, he comes with a perspective not many of us can see. He's walked among these people, and so have I. I think his proposal is worth looking into and brainstorming. We can work with Kiev about starting a communal outreach, perhaps starting the season with citizens writing their complaints. Those we see fixable, doable, and worthy of consideration, we can conduct backgrounds on and ensure my safety. Should it prove too dangerous, then we will have other ideas by then."

"It sure is an uncalculated risk, but the benefits long term can be rewarding," Cadize noted, "I agree it is worth looking into. The first few attempts could be rough, uncharted waters, but this could establish a great relationship with the commoners."

"I concur," Bridger spoke, although it sounded more like he was eager for this to end.

"And of Lilah?" Payne asked, glaring back at the Empress. He wasn't going to give his yay or nay regarding this stupid proposal.

"Hold off, for now. We have more important matters to attend to than a public execution," Jessamine replied, "which given Kaid's proposition in increasing trade, brings our latest problem."

Duke Grotto.

"Kaid, what do you know of him?" Payne asked, hating he'd have to but if he truly did spend all his time reading books, he must know something.

"Duke Grotto rules over the Southern Isles as a form of governor. It was established three hundred years ago due to cultural differences and the vast islanders preferred someone of their own as voice for the Emperor. Grotto is a very distant relative of the former Lady Alexandra, who came from a merchant aristocratic family. Grotto is refusing to enforce sinking pirates due to...political differences?" Kaid speculated, Jessamine was a bit surprised at his research.

"It's much more than political differences, it's particularly blackmail in the form of revenge. Your objective, Jessamine and Kaid, upon meeting with Duke Grotto, is establishing dominance over the negotiations. We need the Duke to start sinking those ships, should our economy flourish, and soon. At the moment, we have nothing to hang over that fat Duke's head. You two have three days to find something substantial, after that, negotiations will be even more difficult," Payne stated.

Well, he didn't know exactly what kind of blackmail they'd be looking for, but that shouldn't be that difficult given Jessamine's Oblivion.

"They also have a mind-witch as well. The strength of her Oblivion is unknown, but be prepared for your minds to potentially be penetrated," Payne added, making Kaid realize maybe this wouldn't be so easy after all, "Kaid, you will be the outlier. I'm sure they will hear news of your new appointment as Guardian, but they won't have much information on you. My advice, give them as little as possible. Let them focus all their attention on you, and Jessamine can do the digging."

Kaid had the feeling that was Payne's polite way of saying to not get too involved and fuck all of this up.

"Bridger and I will be in Lungor for the time being, obtaining a Blocker. Cadize, you're in charge while the Empress is gone. Work with Kassandra on important city matters. I will brief Kiev before my departure this evening," Payne spoke, "can we all agree this meeting is adjourned?"

Everyone nodded, Payne pleased it was finally over. He was the first to leave, along with Bridger who probably needed to pack some belongings for this upcoming trip. Cadize offered Jessamine and Kaid a warm smile before departing as well, leaving Kaid still having a small headache from the various amounts of information crammed too quickly.

"First meeting in and you're already butting heads," Jessamine smiled, standing from her seat, "It's nice to see his opinion challenged every once in a while. You did very well for your first time."

"I feel like a fish out of water," Kaid sighed, seeing Jessamine nod. She felt that way once too. It took a long time and a growing of confidence for that feeling to eventually fade.

"Come, let's speak with the blademaster regarding your new sword," she offered.

"Yes, we must stop by the library first," Kaid spoke, surprising Jessamine but she didn't seem to question it as they walked, "how is Payne going to Lungor? Isn't that dangerous?"

"He's good at infiltrating, and he and Bridger plan these far out in advance, going over all possible outcomes. The likelihood of Payne being compromised is very rare. I can't recall a time he really had ever been caught," Jessamine spoke.

"What happens if he possesses the body of someone that might recognize him?" Kaid asked, thinking back upon his first meeting with Payne between those jail bars. He thought how it must've been Mara's rapist, the burn so clear cut and visible, as if he wasn't even trying to hide it.

"Is that what you think he does?" Jessamine asked, looking over at him, "My dear, it's much more complicated than that. While it may originate from an Oblivion relating to bodily possession, he's a Face Stealer. A very good one at that. Not just the body, but the voice, the gait, the personality. He can steal it all, infiltrate enemy lines, enemy councils, and nobody would notice a difference."

"Surely there must be some way of knowing the difference," Kaid pointed out, realizing Payne was far more complex and dangerous than he thought. A Face Stealer? He had never heard of such a thing before. The thought of it made him realize just how much Kaid underestimated him. He was an even bigger problem than Kaid realized.

"I suppose the only way would be someone truly knowing the person he steals, if Payne said something uncharacteristic, it can cause a person to pause and think about it. Payne doesn't pick overly complicated people, just enough to get what he needs. Bridger will keep the individual he stole in a portal loop, constantly falling through portals. It will feel more like a long sleep or coma to him, and he or she would never know the difference."

"She? He could take the form of a woman?" Kaid asked, a bit surprised.

"He hates doing so. He told me once he hates how we think," Jessamine smiled, "He believes us to be very emotional creatures."

"Sounds like he could use a bit of emotion," Kaid snided, feeling Jessamine nudging him in agreement.

They made their way into the library, which as always was full of empty seats and tables. It did always offer a comforting silence though. Kaid led her over to his small desk in the back which was stacked with books. Kaid was sifting through their spines, trying to find a particular one. Jessamine had a slight smirk on her face, knowing he spent most of his time here.

"What's the smile for?" Kaid asked, not looking at her as he began scanning through one of the books, carousing through the pages quickly but gently.

"I don't think I've ever met a man so in love with literature. It's refreshing," she explained. She was used to men who would rather do anything but read books, rather take their free time to drink, sleep with women, or wreak havoc in the streets.

"I just like learning," Kaid shrugged, not seeing it as a big deal. Everyone had their hobbies, likes and dislikes. A person shouldn't exactly be judged for their hobbies, although he knew Jessamine would argue against that. Kaid didn't know why men, particularly Guards, would waste good coins on women, but he had no experience in such a thing. He felt the best things this life could offer didn't come at a cost.

"Well, it's a bit of a turn on," she whispered faintly in her admittance, Kaid finally looking up at her, one eyebrow raised at the audacity of such a comment. Granted it was a library and she said it so quietly not even the walls would hear, not like there was anyone here to listen. But her boldness was always a bit astounding, especially given she always said such with a straight face.

"How so?" he beckoned, forcing his eyes to remain focused on scanning through the pages.

"Mm, I suppose there's no explanation I could give that would win you over. A woman can't help what she's attracted to," she hummed, stepping closer, her fingers tracing the spines of the books gently, "you're bridging the time in your hands with those in books, communing with the dead, hearing all they have to say. It defines who you are, what you read. The fact you want to know about everything, every struggle, every demise, every victory...is a taste of your character, Kaid. Every question you answer adds another five questions to be beckoned, a never ending cycle, a constant thirst you can't quench. That's why I like it. You have all the time in the world and yet it will never be enough to stop you."

Kaid didn't know how she put words so beautifully, like the poetry she had once observed of his own thoughts. It wasn't just what she said but how she said it, always a breathless whisper, as if nobody else would believe her. Nobody else but him. And to her, all she needed was his belief.

Kaid glanced down, noticing her eyes attracted to one of the books, sliding it away from the pile. In his embarrassment, he grabbed it from her, but she still held it in her hands, a tug of war with the book.

"It's...nothing. Just some science," Kaid stuttered, seeing the smirk on her face widen.

"I read this as a young girl, you know. I know what's in it," she whispered, seeing him flushed, yanking the book from his hands. She opened it to the various illustrations and pictures which caused Kaid to look away disgracefully.

"I was just trying to learn...I don't know much about these things," Kaid excused himself, but each word only came out more flustered and he knew it was better to just ignore the way his body heated with embarrassment and maybe a bit of something else.

"You could have asked me, I would be more than happy to demonstrate," she replied coyly.

"Are you two finding everything alright? It's been awhile since I've seen you, Empress," Archivist Jace interrupted, thankfully, and Kaid felt like he could finally let out that shaky nervous breath he was holding. Jace was a tall, frail old man who's Oblivion allowed him to remember every detail about books. He was a living dictionary, thesaurus, archivist and most of all encyclopedia. It was a shame his knowledge and powers wouldn't be passed along, because Kaid greatly admired his assistance.

"Not at all, Jace. Thank you," Jess smiled, "Kaid was just looking for a book before we obtained his sword."

"And we found it," Kaid finished, opening the page he had stuck his finger in, showing them the illustration of his desires. A blade, more of a mechanical invention that allowed the sword to be concealed in a manner of folding mechanisms. It was ingenious, but rather an old concept. It fit Kaid's personality of hiding his abilities rather perfectly. The only question would be if the blademaster was capable.

"Congratulations Kaid, I could not think of someone more fitting for such a prestigious position," Jace smiled, "I will leave you to it, then."

"Thank you, Jace," Kaid responded, waiting for him to leave. Kaid quickly grabbed Jess's hand and the book in the other, wanting to escort her out. But she remained firm where she was, glancing up at him with those wanting soft eyes, "Don't look at me like that."

"Like what?"

"You know exactly what-" he was interrupted by a kiss, gentle as always of course. It wasn't tempting by any means, more just a sweet apology for embarrassing him just now. His hesitation always made her blush, wondering if he saw her as some fragile being or if he was merely intimidated by the notion of kissing. Either way, she enjoyed him very much.

"Accept my apologies, then, for looking at you like that," she mumbled against her lips.

"Jess," he interjected, pulling away slightly, "I'm your Guardian now. We can't be...doing this."

"Who said that?" she gave a bewildered look, almost laughing against his jaw.

"It's in the rulebook," Kaid tried to explain, knowing he wasn't doing it well, "I'm not supposed to have a relationship like this with you."

"How old was that book?" she asked, seeing him pause. He didn't know, but the spine and pages were a bit old, the pages verging on a sandy color rather than white. By the lack of his answer, she knew she was right. Even if it was a more recent rule, it was a stupid one.

"I'm not one for following the rules," Jessamine spoke, her eyes glancing at his lips, "is this old rule the one you'd be willing to break? For me?"

"I'd break any rule for you, even all the laws of time itself," he replied, meeting her lips with another sweet chance, knowing it was the only moment they'd get alone for a while. Kaid would savor any chance he could get, any flicker of time he could reach within his grasp, all to hold her and feel that gentle smile against his.