Crimson and Gold

Shortly after Saria left, another guest found their way to Lysandra’s chambers. This time it was Melite.

“Melite? What are you doing here so late?” Lysandra asked, opening the door.

“I hope I didn’t wake you up?” the woman smiled apologetically.

“No, I was still reading,” Lysandra said and moved out of the way to let her in. “Please, come in. Did anything happen?”

Melite went inside and waited for the Princess to sit with her on the sofa.

“I came to apologize for Loukios’ behavior during dinner,” she said after a deep breath.

She knew about the rift between her husband and his sister, and while never directly interfering, Melite would always try to mediate between them from the sidelines.

It was partially because she firmly believed that family bonds are stronger than anything, but also because she had been fond of Lysandra from the very beginning.

Melite never paid any heed to the rumors that circulated among the nobles about the Princess’ promiscuous and downright wild nature. Knowing her for many years, she experienced nothing but kindness and good intentions from her.

That’s why it was difficult for her to accept the way Lysandra was often treated not only by other people, but her own father and brother as well.

However, being raised in accordance with traditional values, Melite lacked the rebellious spirit that would allow her to officially stand up for the Princess in front of the others.

In the end, the only thing she could do was to find Lysandra in private and try to mend the cracks that had been caused by yet another argument.

“You have nothing to apologize for,” the Princess patted her hand with a warm smile, only for it to disappear the second she started talking about Loukios. “My brother is a grown-up man. He can take the responsibility for his own actions.”

It wasn’t the first time that Melite came to her apologizing on behalf of her brother, and every time it made Lysandra even more angry.

She hated seeing how Loukios was always hiding behind others, never willing to bear the burden himself.

“I know, I know…” Melite sighed, “It’s just that he has been under a lot of pressure lately. He’s been more active in politics and now,” she pointed at her stomach, “the baby too. Please, don’t take it too heart. He really missed you when we were in Helle. He kept mentioning you every day.”

Lysandra smiled sourly and decided to leave it without a comment.

She guessed that her brother was mentioning her only because she managed to disrupt his plans.

“How is the baby?” she asked instead, changing the subject.

Hearing the question, Melite beamed immediately. “It’s still very early, but she’s growing very strong,” she said, caressing her belly.

“She?” Lysandra didn’t hide the surprise at the statement.

“Mm!” Melite nodded proudly. “Loukios thinks it’s a boy, but mother’s instincts don’t lie. It’s going to be a beautiful girl! I don’t need any shamans to know that.”

Lysandra furrowed her brows. “He went to a shaman?”

“He did. Apparently, it was even before we left Aervelis. He told him that soon he will have an heir, who will be the embodiment of the Ten Cyryrian Virtues.”

The Ten Cyryrian Virtues were a list of qualities that were considered the most important for all scholars and rulers.

They were named by a philosopher, Appio from Cyryria, who believed that those belonging to a higher cast in society had obligations towards those below. One of those obligations was to be an example that the others could follow.

According to Appio, the proper conduct meant adhering to a certain set of virtues—courage, self-discipline, determination, dignity, justice, loyalty, sincerity, compassion, and modesty.

To be called the embodiment of that set of qualities was the highest honor in Aelian society.

Nevertheless, most people seemed to notice the first five virtues, while neglecting the remaining five.

Qualities such as modesty and compassion were standing in the way of fame and glory, and so they were ignored, if not outright rejected.

Lysandra was certain that Loukios would be one of those people, too. Putting all the emphasis on dignity and courage while denouncing anything adjacent to empathy.

She simply couldn’t imagine her brother trying to teach his child modesty or compassion.

“Do you know where he found this man?” Lysandra asked.

Melite shook her head. “I don’t know. He never told me. Why are you interested in it anyway?”

Lysandra patted Melite’s hand. “I just want to make sure that he doesn’t trick more people into losing money.”

“Those shamans are all frauds!” Melite agreed eagerly. “As if anyone would believe that they have any connection to the Gods!”

According to Aelian belief, only the Oracles possessed the power to speak with the Gods, and as a result, they were the only ones allowed to mediate between the divine and mortal worlds.

With time, however, other people started claiming their ability to connect to the Gods and even commune with them directly.

In an overwhelming majority of cases, thorough investigation by the Council revealed that it was nothing but a fraud.

Only a small fraction of instances were deemed inconclusive due to insubstantial or conflicting evidence. Every time this happened, Justiciars were sent to bring the subject all the way to the Council’s headquarters on Merenae Island.

What happened there, nobody knew. Those taken away never return to their lives. For most people, the lack of official validation from the Council was an obvious sign that the shamans were indeed frauds.

Notwithstanding, some still sought out their services, despite the infamy.

“I really hope you and Loukios can find a way to make up one day,” Melite continued. “You are family after all. Family should stick together and help each other out.”

Lysandra forced a faint smile. “I wish there were a way for us, too. But, perhaps, we are just too different. Maybe this is how it has to be.”

Melite’s lips parted in anticipation of the words that she wanted to say, but at the last moment, she decided to leave the matter be.

After a few stolen glances at Lysandra, she bit her lip. “That daethri… Saria?” she broke the silence eventually, “She seems very capable.”

The Princess blinked in surprise at the sudden change of subject, but followed along nonetheless. “She is very capable. She proved very hel— useful on multiple occasions,” Lysandra said, attempting to sound as natural and detached as possible.

“It’s good to have someone to rely on,” Melite nodded. “Nobody should go through life alone, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a thael, daethri, or a noble. As long as they are someone you can depend on, that’s already good enough.”

The statement surprised Lysandra. It seemed at odds with the conservative upbringing Melite was subjected to.

Seeing the Princess’ probing gaze, the woman sighed. “I know that it’s unexpected coming from me right after all the family talk.

I do still believe that you shouldn’t give up on your ties too easily. But… I’m also aware that sometimes we don’t have control over it. If a time like this comes, you will need someone by your side.”

Lysandra smiled softly. “Thank you.”

Melite responded in kind, before her eyes drifted to the sky. “It’s late, I should go back before Loukios sends a search party after me.”

Somewhere across the city, on a second floor of an unassuming house, a group of men gathered around a crooked old table.

“Why did he call all of us here so suddenly?” Sulla asked, looking around the room until his eyes rested on Sevus the Handler.

“How am I supposed to know? He tells me even less than you,” the man fired back.

“This is absurd!” another voice cut in. This time, it was a lanky man with a long scar on his face. “After that explosion a while back, the whole city is on edge, and he makes all of us meet all of a sudden? Doesn’t he understand how dangerous it is!?”

Just then, the person they were all waiting for joined the gathering. “Gentlemen, please. Calm down. I took proper precautions, you’re safe here.”

“This is the least you can do after putting us in this mess in the first place, Kain.” Sulla didn’t hide his dissatisfaction.

“What do you want from us? I doubt you called us all here to apologize.” The man with the scar asked.

“So impatient, Barnabas,” Kain clicked his tongue and threw a pouch on the table. "I have something for you.”

“Is this…”

“Yes. The drug that Aelius soldiers are using to go against Faolán shapeshifters. I believe you enjoyed its effects last time, so I brought you some more.”

“What’s the catch?” came a voice from the unlit corner of the room.

“Yanis,” Kain flashed his teeth in a sly smile. “Hiding in the corner out of shame or out of fear?”

“Cut the bullshit and answer the question.” Yanis didn’t fall for the provocation, but the frustration in his voice made it clear that he wasn’t indifferent to it either.

“I want you to distribute it on the streets.”

Hearing this, Praetor Sulla nearly fell from his chair. “What? Are you out of your mind? It will cause absolute chaos!”

He tried to fold his hands on the table, but the heavy brass prosthetics quickly reminded him that even a small gesture like this was no longer possible for him.

“Precisely,” Kain drummed his fingers on the table as he looked around the people gathered in the room. “Don’t worry about the Emperor. Octavius will be too busy trying to keep his city from falling apart to look your way. I assure you.”

“I did as you asked. Those scumbags won’t be able to resist making a profit out of it, so we should start seeing the effects in a matter of days.” Kain entered the workshop and joined a man hunched over a desk, examining scriptures in an unknown language.

“Good,” the scholar nodded without taking his eyes from the writing before him. “You’re free for now. I’ll let you know when we are ready to act.”

Despite the clear dismissal, Kain remained rooted to the same spot. “I have to ask, if the Grimoire is in Aervelis, why not ask Loukios to get it for you?” he wondered aloud. “As a Crowned Prince, he has free access to every city resource, including the Library.”

The man took off a pair of worn-out binoculars from his nose and placed them on the pile of papers.

“Loukios is a wildcard,” he said after a deep sigh. “He is on our side for now, but for this man, power is everything. If he ever gets any idea what kind of knowledge is hidden in that book, he won’t even blink before taking it for himself.

“It’s better to keep him focused on the Prophecy. His chasing it is also working in our favor, since he’s keeping the girl away from us.”

“Speaking of which, do you know who she is, Malachar?” Kain asked.

The man nodded absentmindedly. “I do.”

“Is something the matter?”

“She used to be one of Sekaris. I thought she had been taken care of, but it would appear that it is not the case.”

Kain folded his arms on his chest and furrowed his thick black brows in displeasure. “Do you think Dolios is acting against us?”

“Dolios was never with us in the first place,” Malachar explained, pinching the bridge of his nose. The strain on his eyes was becoming too bothersome to ignore. “He has his own reasons to search for the necklace.

“But the girl still being alive is worrying. Now that she’s working with Lysandra, it’s even worse.”

“Do you want me to kill her?” Kain asked without hesitation.

“No. Not for now. There are too many questions, and I’ll need to find some answers.”

“What are you planning to do?”

Malachar’s lips curved in an unpleasant, cunning smile. “Crowned Prince is back in the city. It is appropriate for the teacher to visit his student, is it not?”

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