"Villa Sutr boasts several," Santiago said, easing into a familiar tact of conversation. He cast a hand back in gesture to the central stairway they had passed.

"Legate Hyuli's chambers contains her own tub, heated by magitech provided by a Miradi envoy some years ago when peace was still on the table. The same apparatus sees use across the compound. On the main floor, following the hallway we entered from and left at the stairs, a walkway leads to the public bathing house.

"Most guests prefer it. For those inclined to privacy"—a glance back to the woman, swiftly broken—"an inquiry can be levied to chamberlain En, who will ensure that all accommodations are met. Within reason."

He continued on, brushing past a beaded curtain as they entered the eastern wing of the villa. Perhaps begrudgingly, he nodded to a great pair of doors at the end of the path.

"The library," he said, "and your rooms, here. They were chosen for the proximity to the library. Legate Hyuli spared great care for this excursion."


@Lila Lacrimosa
 
A violet brow raised at the information given so easily. Luckily, many were music to Lila’s ears, such as the state of the public baths. It was a shame that they were actually walking away from the walkway that Santiago had mentioned, but it could be forgiven. There was magitech here. She wanted to find it, discover it, explore it, memorize it.

“The public baths are fine, as long as there’s separation of man and woman.” Lila clarified, more pep in her step as she followed after. She used a hand to help herself duck under a cascade of beads, uniformly round and cool despite the layer of dust congealing on her skin.

“Pretending to be pure?” Of course, it was Scriloc. With his annoying voice, demeaning and arrogant despite sounding like a prepubescent boy. Within the short melody of bead clacking against bead, Lila had pivoted on her heel, turning to face Scriloc, fist raised and ready. He yelped, hopping back into the wall of beads, sending them clattering and clashing against him.

She was quick to turn back to the Priest, a smug gleam in her violet gaze that would fade until attention was brought to the library doors. She was no longer behind Santiago now, stepping ahead of him as if he obscured her view of the large doors. Her previous wants of heading into a room and then immediately going to the bathes were discarded.

“Does this mean we can use it?” Lila’s head began to slightly turn, but her eyes remained steadfast on the door. They looked heavy but not as heavy as the doors that led into her favorite library at the Magisterium. Though there were many, one library in particular held Lila’s interest since the beginning. “Do I need a badge? Is there a curfew?” And if so, could she sneak in? “Will the books we brought be transferred into here?” It was a rather disappointing thought, displaying clearly by the downward tug of her lips.

@Santiago Malik
 
Another barrage of questions. Santiago blanched in the face of them, recoiling from the suite's threshold as he made an attempt to process each in turn. It manifested in the pause that lingered between them. After a few moments spent collecting a retort, he issued a set of nods.

"The books will be transferred there," he said, choosing recency in reply, "after Legate Hyuli reviews them. Regarding the library, the gates remain unbarred until last light or when the waterclock strikes eight, whichever happens first. You are free to use them at leisure. Such are the courtesies the 40th extends to its guests."

He gestured to the suite he had turned away from.

"Situate yourselves within and inform the chamberlain should you require additional accommodations. Anticipate the Legate to invite you to dine with her this eve, prepare accordingly. If you will excuse me, I intend to report back and return to Ko's devotions."

A heel clipped soft against the marbled floors.

"Scriloc, Lila," he said as he made to depart. "I am, charmed, to have made your acquaintance."

Allaying further pleasantries, he walked back towards the Legate's study.

@Lila Lacrimosa
 
A low hum of contemplation reverberated at the top of Lila's throat. She wondered what sort of books a fort would have—simply strategy, history, old correspondence, or politicking? She doubted she'd find anything belonging to a guilty pleasure or a secret. Still, the allure was there, glimmering and glittering like jewels embedded in a silver brooch, the sort her mother wore when accompanying her father to important meetings. When Santiago left them, Lila was the first to open the door and enter the room.

A short hallway led to a general sitting area lacking windows on all sides except one, two couches, and a small table at the center. The few things that they had brought with them were set on top of the table. Scriloc was the first to go there and rummage through their things. The light was faint from the windows, but Lila saw long shadows to show the sun was elsewhere. She could already tell that this room was incredibly bright in the morning. There were three doors on one side, which Lila expected to be where they'd sleep. She was quick to claim a room for herself, but the first door she opened had two beds, minimal in their bedding.

The Magus snored like a bear-monkey, so she shut it and opened the next door, leading to a small privy. She heard Scriloc's begin walking towards her and pushed him to the side before his hand could open the third door—one bed, as plain as the others.

"This is my room because I'm a woman," Lila said as if she hadn't shared a tent with the two for days.

"Really? I couldn't tell. You never act like one." Scriloc opened the door to the privy, looking unimpressed by the amenities and then headed into his own room. "You don't even smell like one, the priest said as much."

"Ha," Lila knew she shouldn't say anything back, she knew it was a lame attempt at wit, but suddenly there was a fire lit within her, her veins like candle wax, melting and burning beneath her skin. She followed after her classmate, standing in the doorway and resting a hand on her hip. "Well, that priest called you Scri-cock when he left. He's on a first-name basis with me."

"No, he isn't," Scriloc mumbled, but disappointment still lingered in his small eyes.

"I think he hates the name Barnabus."

"You didn't give him your last name. Clearly, he's showing respect to my family." That stumped Lila for a moment. It was true, she hadn't given the priest her last name. "Why do you even care? You're not even religious. I've seen you keep your eyes open during prayer. You look bored." She shrugged, waving away his words with a free hand.

"Yeah, I don't care." Lips split into a wide grin, showing plenty of teeth. "But you do." Scriloc glowered at her, but her grin only grew until her cheeks started to hurt. "I'm going to take a bath." Lila pivoted on her heel, checking a small, hidden pocket for coins before going out the door.


When Lila returned clean and refreshed, she was greeted only by soft words from the middle of a conversation upon opening the door. She quickly closed it, leaning against it to ensure it was tight against the frame. There was a thick silence in the thin air until Lila stepped into the square main room. Only Scriloc's eyes assessed her before landing back on the one who had been speaking.

"The Legate is as loathsome as I remember," Magus Montefalcon said with a weary sigh that further deflated his posture. He sat upon the long couch, in the center, staring at nothing in particular lest he were more concerned about the lines in his white knuckles. Scriloc was perpendicular to the Magus, careening over the wooden arm of the short couch, angling himself second by second towards the old man like a goat climbing the side of a mountain.

"Will you not be joining us later?" Scriloc asked, an uneven crease in his brow dividing his eyes. There was a slight shake of Magus Montefalcon's bald head.

"And take on the mantle of a coward? No, I will attend as we all are supposed to." His gimlet gaze went to Lila. "Your hair is wet." He said dryly. If Lila had captured it in a bottle, she could have used it for her hair. "Fix it while we are away. We shall all be presentable tonight." Magus Montefalcon needed only a limp finger to get Scriloc standing up from his precarious perch, and Lila looked straight ahead at the empty couches as she stepped aside to let the two of them exit the villa.

@Santiago Malik
 
Santiago loosed a heavy breath, the edges of him worn haggard as he splayed atop a chair across from the Legate. He rubbed at his temple, fingers moving to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Must we entreat such pomp of ourselves to deal with mere guests of the Magisterium, garrison commander?" he asked of her.

The Legate was seated imperiously in turn, behind neatly stacked papers with her elbows propped atop an unfurled map of the local topography. Where sweat saturated Santiago's brow, not a wick of it blemished her. She maintained a rigid posture, a placid flatness to her features. Not a change had settled upon her in Santiago's brief absence.

"Magus Montefalcon boasts mentorship of several esteemed members of state," the Legate replied, "including notable benefactors of the fort. Appearances, if nothing else, must be maintained."

She crooked a smile that startled the puckering of her lips.

"Does it chafe?" she asked. "To play the loyal hound, to bark at the whims of mere Magi?" Her hands rose in mimicry of motion, pantomiming the mouth of a dog.

Santiago let laughter spill from him. It eased the tension still ebbing from his shoulders.

"No, Hyuli. You have long suffered my complaints, for which you have my gratitude."

"Speaking of Montefalcon"—and a brow was lifted in acknowledgement, in apology for the interruption—"I've extended the pleasure of an invitation to dine with an old bedfellow of his." The Legate's smile, illfitting to her face, turned wicked. Sharp, all teeth, and none of the expected warmth. "Go now, Santiago. Have these deleterious Magi attend me for dinner."

A seated bow was given and the cleric rose, letting the door shut firm behind him.


Knock knock knock and the cleric came calling.


@Lila Lacrimosa
 
As the youngest, Lila had the duty of opening the door. Magus Montefalcon and Scriloc stood up as she pulled the door in to reveal Santiago. She looked at the cleric now with a fresh face, no grime beneath her nails, no sweat beading along her hairline. She had pulled her hair back into a tight braid that fell to the small of her back. The natural waves of her hair had been coaxed into lying flat, only a few strands of violet left unbothered to twist and curl around her cheeks and ears. The only indication of Lila's fatigue was the brush of dull purple beneath dark lashes, contrasting against the brightness of her lavender iris like the Mother reflected against the sea at twilight.

She smelled like the color that snaked about her, marking her in her veins, her eyes, and her hair: violets and lilacs, lavender and anise, the lingering softness of chamomile beneath the floral and spice. Her clothes were spotless, free of filth, unpleasant smells, and wrinkles. Even the cloak clasped around her collar was oddly fresh and new.

"Hi."

Her grin held a cheerful mischievousness contrary to the lilt of her voice. It did match the growl of her stomach, hidden mainly by Magus Montefalcon clearing his throat. Magus Montefalcon and Scriloc held themselves higher than before the first meeting, their dark robes wafting the scent of lemon into the air, pristine as if new. They were the first to step around Lila and follow Santiago, with the Magus keen on taking the lead ahead of his students.

Magus Montefalcon was quiet, and so Scriloc matched his mentor. Lila suspected that Scriloc slicked his blonde hair back so tightly to mimic the Magus's profile. A devilish giddiness flushed her cheeks as she bit her lip to hold back a laugh. They had both been told to be serious, not bicker, and, most importantly, to be quiet once more. They were simple requests, if only because they all bled into one another.

"Santiago, do you wash your robes by hand?" Lila broke the silence with a question, and it was answered first by Magus Montefalcon's sigh of frustration.
 
Santiago guarded his expression in reply to the sudden question. A frown threatened to breach that composure, held at bay by a hand he brushed over his lips. He comported himself, stealing moments to shift glances between the students and the Magus; he noted their dress, nearly allowing an approving nod to tilt his chin.

He cleared his throat.

"No," he said, a quizzical note lilting his voice. "En sees to the laundry, daily. I've no need to..."

He shook his head.

"Magus Montefalcon," he said instead, presenting himself before the trio. He adopted a deeper tone, and the pair of legionnaires that flanked him snapped to practiced attention.

"You and your coterie have been extended the grace of invitation to dine with the Legate this evening. Will you accompany me to the dining hall?"

@Lila Lacrimosa
 
“Oh, absolutely,” The Magus said, churlish as ever. The word wasn’t spat out, that was too quick, and instead it was treated more like a blade between his thin lips. One that was crafted for war, not just a single battle.

Lila was familiar with this tone from Magus Montefalcon as they followed after Santiago’s entourage. She was going to situate herself near the priest, or as close as she could get to him with legionnaires between them, but Scriloc pulled her back by the hood of her cloak.

“You were choking me.” She hissed, a hand at her throat to rub through the thin turtleneck. Her other hand had already curled into a fist.

“You’re not supposed to speak.”

“Then why on Khurun would I have a mouth?” Both of their voices were hushed, just enough so Lila could hear the Magus begin to say something to the Priest.

“Might I suggest ignoring questions unworthy of an answer to the young woman? Humoring her won’t ever work in your favor. Unless you’re desiring a headache.” All of this was said like ‘absolutely’— a mandatory passive aggressive drawl that was so syrupy sweet it was surprising none of them choked. Lila imagined it was how the Magus must have spoken to Legate Hyuli, demeaning in the sort of way that suggested one was too dumb to comprehend.

“You should be behaving.” Scriloc whispered, using a long, spindly leg to step ahead of her.

Lila cursed under her breath, barely audible though she thought she saw one of Scriloc’s fingers twitching in annoyance. She fell silent, but her mind was loud and bombastic, thinking of all the ways for revenge, someday. The heat in her cheeks and ears made her feel as warm as she had when carrying the books beneath the sun. Sometimes she forgot that revenge was better served cold, but sometimes she also liked to feel her blood boil.

She shivered, the frisson dancing along her spine.

Someday.

One day.

Soon.

But not today. Not even after dinner. And so with her heavy silence and narrowed pouting, Lila behaved, at least for a while.
 
"You may suggest," Santiago said, drumming out the staccato of each word, "and the suggestion will be duly considered, Magus. Thank you."

With nary a glance over the shoulder, he continued his march toward the dining hall.

The stone-faced legionnaires flanked him, sandals cutting a distinct rhythm against the floors. They passed corridor after corridor, administered by the bowing of liveried serving folks, and came to the central entryway. There Santiago turned, gesturing for the party to follow, as he opened a gate between the arched staircases and beyond.

In short order, they arrived at the destination: a great hall of faceless stone embellished with tapestries depicting wolves and other beasts of hunt. Lanterns hung from timber rods that jutted from the high vaulted ceiling, spilling pools of shadows where the flickering light waned. The majority of the room was cleared, and a carpet unfurled from the entrance to lead to a raised dais atop which rested a long, heavy stone table sporting six chairs that glistered with gilding in the low light.

The Legate sat at the head with her own pair of legionnaires mirroring Santiago's guard. She remained seated as she beckoned for them to join her. Santiago did so summarily, sitting at the far side of the table, directly across from the Legate.

"Seat yourselves," he said, and as if on cue the north doors, adjacent the kitchen hearth, opened to reveal a silk-clad figure. "We are to be joined by Senate-elect Nerovien."

The Legate chimed in: "An acquaintance of yours, I am led to believe, Montefalcon?"

@Lila Lacrimosa
 
Sulking in the back, Lila was not the first to see Senate-elect Nerovien. Though he was tall, his blonde hair was cut short and close to his scalp, showcasing a small yet complementary bone structure that was well-suited to the size of his head, although not his shoulders. Little curls still formed regardless, only to be hidden if he had completely shaved his head. His eyebrows were blonde, so pale that they gleamed white in the light. From where she stood, the most astounding feature of Nerovien was his lips, large and red with minimal shape other than round and wide. Of course, when Nerovien's stretched smile faded, his mouth was like a plump cherry, red and shiny.

If Lila had kept walking, she would have crashed into Scriloc, who hadn't moved an inch since the Magus stood still. The Legate was right; clearly, Nerovien was an acquaintance. A deserter? An old student? A lover? Family friend? A partner? Related by blood? A colleague?

"An acquaintance, indeed." The Magus moved, and with that single step, so did his students. "A very old acquaintance, though he tries to hide it with his hodgepodge of folk and academia magic." Whether it was by chance or by manners, somehow, the Magus and Nerovien chose seats right across from each other. Legate Hyuli could view the two men with ease, or, if she wished, she could look straight ahead at the invisible ball of tension growing between them.

"You think anyone over twenty-five is decrepit, dear Isagani." Up close, Lila thought the senate-elect looked like a more beautiful Scriloc, but perhaps that was because of the confidence radiating from every move he made. He didn't see the least bit insulted by Magus Montefalcon's jab. "Despite curdling year after year." She squinted towards the Senate-elect.

The way his pale skin glowed like pearls was unnatural, his cheeks perfectly round towards his nose, yet stretched and pulled tight towards his ears. His features, which were both feminine and masculine, seemed beautiful, yet strange. Not even her mother's best artist could make a face like Nerovien's. When he glanced at her, upon feeling her intense gaze, the slight turn of his head caused his features to shift. If she had blinked, she would have missed it. If Lila had not trusted her eyes, she would have discarded it. There was a blur when he moved, brief and subtle.

Lila found such vanity in a man like him to be unsurprising, considering how skinny his arms were and how much his collarbones jutted out beneath his sky-blue silk, which matched his eyes too perfectly.

"You must have found that clever." Magus Montefalcon murmured, finally gesturing with a pair of fingers for Scriloc and Lila to sit. "Or rather, you think you're very clever." This seemed to be directed at Legate Hyuli as he glanced towards her before leaning back in his chair.

There were only two seats left, one by the Magus and the other by the Senate-elect. Scriloc was quick to take his seat beside Magus Montefalcon, the priest to his left. Lila took the last seat, no longer looking at Nerovien. Across from her, she could see both the Magus and Scriloc focusing solely on Nerovien. She sat straight and rigid, muscles tight as she looked at the two's faces, feeling more like they were in a rowdy tavern surrounded by bandits and rogues.

Violet eyes turned towards Santiago, looking over the line of his nose, how it lifted right beneath his eyes. It was much longer than Nerovien's small, upturned nose, which was half the size. Soon, she was staring down at her plate, stomach flipping right before it growled. Despite the tension, she could eat and hoped the food would be plentiful. At the very least, couldn't she get Nerovien's portion? He hardly seemed like the type to eat until full.

@Santiago Malik
 
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