lisa stood outside the palace gates, watching her life choices parade before her.
"We look like a traveling brothel," she muttered.
"Don’t be ridiculous." Isabella adjusted her top, which barely qualified as clothing. "Brothels couldn’t even dream of being this sexy."
The morning crowd gawked. Guards tried not to stare. A rchant dropped his apples.
[Can’t bla them.]
Margaret wore a black dress with slitted sides. Kimiko had foregone a top entirely, wearing a bra and a very long skirt with heels. Armia stood rigid in trousers and a tunic, pretending she wasn’t part of this disaster. Raven looked like a hot ninja. listair and Hazel were by far the most normal-looking people there (though currently, listair was desperately trying to convince a very curious Hazel not to poke the vaguely annoyed-looking guard’s spear).
And Sirah...
"Put on a shirt," lisa hissed.
"No."
"You’re going to be seeing the damn queen!"
"And she hasn’t seen a woman’s chest before?"
"Not yours!"
"She will soon." Sirah stretched.
"The queen’s late," Armia noted.
"She’s probably going to be making an entrance," Isabella corrected.
Right on cue, the royal caravan rounded the corner. Five carriages, each pulled by those fancy horses in regal armor. Guards, banners snapping in the wind. The works.
Aria stepped out of the lead carriage.
[Those. Fucking. Pants.]
lisa swallowed.
"Lady Blackfla." Her voice carried perfectly. "I see you brought... everyone."
"You said to bring whoever I wanted."
"Indeed I did." Aria’s eyes swept the group. Paused on Sirah’s bare torso. She looked Sirah up and down, made eye contact with her, perhaps considered having her beheaded then and there, and promptly chose to just move on. "Shall we make introductions?"
Margaret stepped forward first.
"Your Majesty. I’m Margaret Blackfla, lisa’s mother. It’s a pleasure."
"The pleasure is mine." Aria inclined her head.
"And I’m listair." Her father bowed properly. "Thank you for this opportunity, Your Majesty."
"You’re certainly welco. Your daughter has been invaluable to the crown."
[Geez, stop blushing, Dad.]
Kimiko didn’t bother with formality.
"Kimiko Sumr. This one’s mine." She yanked Isabella forward. "You’ve t her already, though, no?"
"I have. Armia, Raven. Good to see you."
"... Your Majesty," Raven bowed and Armia did the sa.
The carriage sorting took another ten minutes. Isabella and Kimiko claid one carriage, where they were probably going to traumatize the driver. Margaret and listair took another with Hazel. Armia and Raven shared the third, sitting at opposite ends like awkward bookends.
Sirah tried to follow lisa.
"No," Aria said simply.
"She needs protection."
"From ?"
"Maybe."
Aria’s smile could’ve frozen fla.
"How fascinating. Get in another carriage."
Sirah looked ready to argue. lisa grabbed her arm.
"What are you, suicidal? Just go!"
"Fine." Sirah stalked off. "But if she tries anything—"
"She’s the queen!"
"So?"
"GO."
lisa climbed into Aria’s carriage, face burning. The interior was ridiculous. Velvet seats. Crystal decanters. Enough space to host a small orgy... not that she was thinking about that.
[Stop thinking about orgies in the queen’s carriage!]
Aria settled across from her. Crossed those criminal legs.
"Your bodyguard is protective."
"She’s not my bodyguard."
"No?" Aria poured wine despite the early hour. "She seems to think otherwise."
"She thinks a lot of wrong things."
"Mm." Aria sipped her wine. "Tell about your family."
"What about them?"
"They’re... colorful."
lisa groaned.
"That’s one word."
Aria chuckled.
"It’s refreshing." Aria gazed out the window as they left Syux. "Most diplomatic envoys are rather stuffy. Yours is..."
"Insane?"
"Genuine." Aria’s eyes found hers. "Yalmir, from what I hear, values authenticity. Your circus might actually help."
"Please don’t call them that."
"Would you prefer ’chaotic collective’?"
"I’d prefer ’diplomatic attachés.’"
"Lying doesn’t suit you, Miss Blackfla."
They rode in comfortable silence. The city gave way to farmland, then forest. lisa tried not to stare at Aria’s legs. She failed.
"Oh, I did want to ntion, your warrior’s information," Aria said suddenly. "It’s been extensive. Nas, locations, supply routes. Seems she was exceptionally well-connected."
"Oh?"
"Indeed. The targets she gave us, for example, they weren’t random raiders. They were clan leaders. Her forr associates."
lisa paused.
"She really gave you actual valuable info?"
Aria nodded.
"Seems her desire to switch sides was actually genuine. I’m as shocked as you are."
[All just so she could see again. Crazy.]
"That kind of devotion can be dangerous," Aria noted.
"She’s... intense, yeah."
The carriage hit a bump. lisa grabbed the seat. Aria didn’t even wobble.
[How does she make everything look graceful?]
"Will you demonstrate your magic in Yalmir?" Aria asked.
"Probably. They’ll want to see the nim who breaks rules."
"You do excel at that."
"Breaking rules?"
"Breaking the laws of common sense, more like." Aria’s smile was smaller now. Softer. "I do not an that as an insult."
"Kinda feels like one."
"Change requires destruction. You can’t build new without clearing old." She gestured vaguely. "Your very existence challenges centuries of assumptions. Assumptions the Shadow Mages helped construct. Assumptions you and I are actively destroying."
"Lucky ."
"Yes. Lucky you."
They talked more comfortably as the hours passed. What Yalmir might want. What lisa’s ti at the Academy had been like recently. What Syux could offer. How to navigate kitsune politics. lisa found herself relaxing. Aria was sharp, insightful, occasionally funny in that dry way.
The forest thinned. Mountains appeared in the distance.
"There." Aria pointed. "Yalmir. We’re still days away, but you can see its outer edges from here."
lisa pressed against the window. Yalmir’s capital sprawled up the mountainside in the far, far distance, all tiered levels and wondrous architecture. Buildings carved from stone. Bridges spanning chasms. Waterfalls threading between structures.
"Holy shit."
"Eloquent."
"It’s huge!" lisa couldn’t look away. "I was nine when I left. And I didn’t get to see a whole lot of it. I don’t rember it being..."
"Magnificent?"
"Terrifying."
Aria laughed. Actual laughter, not her usual controlled amusent.
"Both work."
"We’re really doing this," lisa breathed.
"Having second thoughts?"
"Third and fourth thoughts."
"Good. Doubt keeps you sharp." Aria’s fingers brushed hers. Brief. Possibly accidental. "But I ant what I said. I couldn’t do this without you."
lisa’s heart did sothing stupid.
[Professional. This is professional. Stop reading into hand touches.]
"We should review protocol," she said quickly.
"If you insist."
They talked etiquette until the city gates lood. lisa’s nerves returned full force.
[Nine years. Nine years since I’ve been here. And, I wasn’t here for long either.]
She was actually rather excited all of a sudden.
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