DH AN: Here is the personally very long anticipated AU mix, or alternatively, I get to play with a handful of wonderful characters that are not mine. Big Thank you to Ataahua for the use of her aviary (you'll meet them next chapter) and for coming up with a lovely title for this thing. Enjoy An Heiress' Mantle.

AN 2: Timeline : Snugly between Healing Presence and The Poisoner And The Heiress

AN 3: Arlomhe Sharti 1st PoV


Chapter One

I grab the filled file folder off his desk and return to the upper corridors. He is recovering well but I refuse to let him return to normal working habits until his coughing diminishes in frequency. I only gathered the papers that were time sensitive for his perusal.

I stop outside his bedroom door. It's hard not to glance at and skim papers by instinct. The first paper he will see bothers me. He's never mentioned bargaining with other groups. The Cobras- the name alone gives me a bad feeling.

I forget to knock then slide through the doorway. He's sitting up, probably far too eager to get back to some semblance of normalcy. I toss the folder onto the foot of the bed. "The time sensitive papers... As per your agreement with me."

He huffs but does nothing more to connote displeasure. Opening the folder, he reads the first paper. His muscles tense, and his eyes narrow with every passing second. "Benu, you vexing little bird." He stresses every syllable darkly as he throws the rest of the folder to the floor.

I freeze; I've heard that name before. A negotiating liaison apparently very good at getting the better end of deals... I'm one of the few wise enough to avoid the subject or refuse to address the obvious change in demeanor after my father returns from one of these rendezvous. It sometimes takes him an entire week to return to normal.

I re-gather the other papers back into the folder's confines. "Let me."

"No."

"I know you usually handle these, but you're in no condition." I step to place the folder on his right. "I highly doubt they'll wait or show sympathy." I pause perhaps already regretting my next addition. "You wouldn't."

"What I would or would not do isn't the task at hand. You're not going."

"You're doing something wrong! Every time you come back you look like this Benu has made you swallow several lemons!" I exhale. "I'm calm. I can follow instructions and I know I can negotiate."

"Such as?"

"Our current arrangement, better training for your new recruits, an actual written procedure list for your eyes only- can I stop now?"

"What makes you think you can negotiate with someone other than me?"

"I don't see anyone else volunteering."

"You're not going alone, not this time."

"I can take care of myse-"

He cuts me off as he grips and twists a handful of bed covers in his left hand and grabs my wrist tightly in his right. I wince as his fingernails dig into my skin and the ice in his eyes entraps my line of sight for the first time in weeks. "You are not going alone. Is that clear, Sharti?"

"Yes Sir." The sound squeaks through my teeth.

Three seconds pass before his fury relents and he uncoils his fingers from around my wrist. His eyes follow the line of his nail indentions on my skin, coupled with an expression that makes him look more miserable. His next words do nothing to deny a sense of guilt. "The healing salve is in the en suite. Second drawer." He falls victim to a chain of consecutive coughs. I wait until after he clears his throat and his breathing settles to retrieve the salve.

The en suite is situated in the farthest inner corner of the bedroom. I flick on the light switch in the room, trying to calm the feeling of intrusion for a second time. The area's rather personal and even with permission, it's strange to see another's hygiene tools and presumed habits therein. His things are all neatly arranged on the sink counter. Comb, a toothbrush, a tube of toothpaste on the right side, a container of lavender oil next to the pump of unscented hand soap, shaving cream and a razor on the left…and a bottle of perfume that I know he never uses behind the faucet. I feel a small frown tug at my lips before I reach for the second of the set of drawers attached underneath the sink counter. I find the familiar pearly capped jar tucked into the front of the drawer. I pull it out, set it on the sink's edge and then intend to shut the drawer.

But something else catches my attention.

A faux velvet box. I shrug off the sound of warning bells in my head as I reach for it. I can peek a look inside, he would never know. Then my hand stops, a breath away from touching the soft outer lining of the box. Things like this rarely turn out in my favor and I'm on proverbial thin ice as it is… My chance to prove myself is on the line. After the disasterous cave in… I can't risk it. I resolutely push the drawer shut.

"Excellent choice, Dear One." I startle as I see him leaning on the doorway, courtesy of the mirror.

I swallow my nerves. "How long have you been there?"

He steps in and scoots the jar to the right and me to the left. I'm thankful that I have a split second to remind myself to step up on the shower ledge to avoid a repeat meeting with the shower floor. "Long enough to see you for once conquer your habit of snooping." He permits a small smile. He washes his hands with the soap, shakes off most of the excess water and tips a dab of the lavender oil into his palm, massaging it into the skin, leaving a bit of the liquid and finally wipes his hands on the towel.

He takes the jar from the sink and steps out. "Wash your hands and then come have a seat, Mheralo."

I silently repeat his process and after my hands are washed, I open the first drawer to find a cream colored washcloth, run cold water over it and wipe my face. Without thinking, I take the dark purple hand towel and dry my face, inhaling the faint scent of the lavender oil and the even fainter scent of laundry soap that blend perfectly together and pull me into a different room, holding a gray long sleeve shirt rather than a hand towel. I try to shake it off.

"Sharti?" My father's voice floats somewhat muddled to my ears.

"It's Khouri!" I coil my fists, fighting back tears, shaking with utter disgust at my weakness. All it takes is a scent? "I thought I was over this… I thought I was over this!" I shut my eyes as a sob fights confinement.

A hand grabs my shoulder and another takes the hand towel from between the sink counter and my fingers and tosses it aside. "Inhale through your mouth and exhale through your nose." I hyperventilate, earning a gentle squeeze on the shoulder. "Slow and deep, Ms. Khouri." His own breaths are slow, deep, gently pulsing with a small lingering mucous-lined sound appearing at their edges.

He leads me to a chair. "Keep breathing like that until you can come back to me. Take all the time you need." I hear him return to the sink, the sound of running water and then its absence and then his careful footsteps as he moves to take a seat across from me. All the while, I'm still somewhat in the thralls of that other place. My eyes are still shut as I don't want to make it worse. The only thing pulling me away from that different room is the careful cadence of his breathing and the earthy cinnamon scent of the healing salve as it banishes the lavender detergent blend from my nostrils. My eyelids feel heavy after I open them.

"Better?" My father's gaze is on his hands, which are warming the salve.

I nod shakily. "I…I'm sorry you had to see that." I whisper, shame settling over me.

"You saw worse two weeks ago." His voice is equally soft.

He opens his hands, which reveal the salve closer to a liquid state rather that its usual gel. "May I see your arm, Dear One?" I offer it for his inspection. He carefully rubs the salve into my skin with gentle fingers. "I thought it was agreed that Khouri was my surname should we both need go under alias."

"Can we drop this for another time?"

He arches a brow, clearly eager to keep pressing. I don't miss the glance to his left before he sighs loosely and closes his eyes. "When this is brought up again at a time of my choosing, you will tell me everything. I will ensure it happens at a time without an event prompting the conversation." He inhales and his gaze catches mine as he releases my arm, hands sliding down to leave with a gentle squeeze on my hand. "Are we agreed?"

I'm silent for a moment. "Yes…we are agreed."

He rises from the chair and proceeds over to the bookcase. He pulls a one inch binder from a lower shelf and rises. My file. I pale; the last use of it wasn't exactly pleasant. "There are no essays here this time." It both assuages and gives a more than subtle hint. He retains his seat on the bed and scans something over. "I suppose I can trust you to go negotiate…mostly on the decent job you did handling an Audience." He closes the binder, sets it on the bed and returns to sit across from me.

"You're positive there's no chance of letting me go alone?"

"Absolutely none. If I give you that chance... What would I receive in return, aside from an opportunity to entertain worry?"

"I want Gabriel Roi."

"He's not even been here for a month."

"The guy knocked out all the sentries you had when he got here. And those suckers were out for hours." I smile. "I'd say he's the bodyguard type. Plus, he'd get field experience and you need more who have that."

"I need to stop making you file and do reports if you're only using the information against me like this." He coughs again.

I straighten myself in the chair. He still keeps two chairs there, chairs that have seen far less nefarious conversations. "What am I negotiating for?"

"You will be offering blueprints of a museum in Luxor." I steel myself as a smirk spreads across his face. "You will accept nothing less than an offering of the vexing little bird's services at a time of my choosing."

"Where can I retrieve the blueprints?"

"My office; where else?" He scribbles on a piece of scrap paper. "You are to retrieve them in the morning from the safe using this combination. And shred the paper afterwards." I take the paper from him and stuff it in my pants pocket. "Nothing else leaves that safe. Do I make myself clear, Dear One?"

I nod, pulling his office keys from his nightstand drawer, and exit. I need to find my negotiation partner and enlist Harkin as a driver. Seems like such a trifle thing to negotiate... A service that is no doubt high quality in exchange for a set of blueprints that are no doubt heavily annotated.

Then again, there are pieces that I don't have. Why this phoenix is so valuable and so good at their job that their employer sends her to negotiate with a man who sees such value in what is done, that if certain circumstances were different he'd nab this Benu rather dishonorably in a heartbeat.

I find Bryn Harkin in the communications room. He pulls off the massive headset after a glance at the mirror placed so that he's aware of who enters and exits.

"May I speak with you in private, Harkin?"

"Of course, Ms. Sharti." I sour at the unneeded respect. He knows I don't care for him using it. It always puts me at a bit of unease… that the framework that was placed years ago was for nothing and that the ties hidden for understandable reasons is common knowledge; it's something that doesn't sit well with me. I know he has an apology waiting behind closed doors as always but it never makes it any less irritating. He calls for Sahin, the second highest ranked in the unit, to take the main headset before he follows me out.

We proceed to the kitchen to grab a tray, the black and white pitchers of coffee and hot water, the box of tea bags, the sugar and creamer, and two mugs. We enter one of the seldom used interrogation rooms. I lock the door.

He pours and makes my tea first, placing it in front of me with the same care he's always shown me in the almost seven years I've known him.

"You've missed our standing date for two weeks..." He utters two dry laughs, after which his brow creases in concern. "Are you all right?"

I nod. I'd kept my excursions to the lower corridors to the bare minimum in the past two weeks. Precaution. "Family matters."

"You never talk about your family." I tense and he clears his throat. "My apologies. How is your shoulder? Is it feeling better?" He pours coffee into his own mug.

"I strained it while I was away but aside from that, it is feeling better." I smile and take that first sip of my tea. "Thank you for asking." I hesitate. "Is your sister any better?"

"Her calls have stopped coming." His hand shakes, sloshing the coffee in his mug, his expression pensive.

"Have you thought about-"

"Asking for time off is out of the question. You know that." He frowns. "Especially with our employer on an indefinite business trip."

Inwardly, I feel relief that even he bought that excuse. "Brynny, there's a time to stick to protocol and there's a time to take the plunge and ask!"

"I hate when you call me that."

"And I hate when you use that stupid formality, so now we're even." I stick my tongue out.

He "humph"s at me as he crosses his arms and then blows an errant bang out of his face. I laugh and he cracks a smile.

"When he gets back, ask! Not asking is getting a 'no' without trying. He might say yes because anxiety affects job performance..." I thread my fingers together and plant my elbows on the table. "If you keep running your hands through your hair like that, you'll have bald patches. It's not a good look for you."

"Oh what do you know?" He laughs.

I smile. "I know my mentor."

"There's something you need?" Bryn places a fist under his chin and smirks. "You never ever drag me away from my station unless it's urgent."

"I'm negotiating tomorrow. I want you to drive myself and my negotiation partner to the location."

"Why me?"

"You won't reveal the rather intricate details to just anyone. And despite what you think,… you were invaluable on my last excursion."

"But Ms.-"

"You got me out. That's something you don't need to apologize for."

"I suppose that's reason enough."

"Thank you, Bryn." He smiles.

"You know… I was scared I wouldn't be able to get you out…"

"You probably weren't the only one…" I exhale and rise from my seat. "But the past is the past and the now is now."

"Is there anything else you need from me?"

"Be ready at dawn. I'll handle everything else."

Harkin nods and returns to the communications room. I linger for a moment, bits and snatches of that… hallucination running through my head.

He takes a flashlight from the backseat and flicks it on. "Darkness is merely the absence of light. And yet we are content to stubbornly stumble through the unknown even if we have something that will reveal obstacles so that we can avoid them." I watch as he places the flashlight in my hands but keeps his hold on it. "Fear is the same thing. It is an obstacle that can be seen that some would rather struggle with than conquer." He shuts off the flashlight and tosses it into the backseat. "Choose to conquer and control and you will succeed."

"It's hard to do that when you have no idea what success means to you or what fear must be conquered." My words bounce around the room in answer to someone only I remember. I wait until the room is silent again before I exit.

I quickly find Gabriel Roi and exhale through my teeth as he panics. How many times will I have to apologize for scaring him that one time? Can't really blame him though… sometimes I scare myself when I look into a mirror in bad lighting. I always wear soft soled shoes for that reason. His steps have a weird way of filling anyone with absolute dread. Myself included.

"Mr. Roi." I sit on a chair at the opposite end of a table where he has every single piece of paper from the training sessions and notes that put mine to shame spread across its surface. There's almost not a bare spot.

"Ms. Sharti- I- just gimme a minute to get all these off the table." I nod, but after two minutes of his debating what goes where, I decide it's in my best interest to help him a little.

"Your notes are quite good." I scan and put them in three piles: One for procedures, another for structure and specifications, and a third for miscellaneous items. "Must take you a while."

"There's just so much!" I take the three stacks and place them on his right and perch on the nearest seat.

"Do you trust me?" My voice is quiet. This could end badly. So many of them see what's on my shoulders before they ever see me; far too frightened that I whisper into The R.H.'s ear. After a moment, Roi nods his head up and down. "It gets easier. I swear it does." I again look at the stacks of paper. "And the notes really do help. Let me help you take them back to your quarters and I'll tell you why I came here along the way."

We're halfway there before I spring my request on him. He puts a hand on his chin. "So you need me to back you up with this 'Benu?'"

"Yes, that's the concept anyway… I just really hope I don't need to execute that part."

"I'll do it!"

I halt. No questions? No hesitation? "Did…did I hear that correctly, Roi?"

"To be honest… you look like you could use something to go your way." Understatement of the last near seven years. "How did you get mixed up in this anyway?"

I halt and my breath hitches. Of course he'd ask just as we pass the atrium. Three weeks shy of seven years to the day. "It's complicated. Th-that's all I'll say on the matter, Mr. Roi."

He smiles a somewhat sad smile. "Can't be any worse than how I got here…"

"I've been meaning to thank you for the pleasure of seeing the absolute best recruitment ever."

"You saw it?"

"Heard it. Sound carries a little too well and I'm actually around this corner here. Only room on the right."

"Must be pretty lonely."

"I manage." I exhale, hating that he's right.

I have no one who understands. I've juggled Huntress and Heiress, Arlomhe and Mheralo, Sharti and Ishtar, with what seem like ease… but what happens when I drop the ball… what happens if-no when I slip? There's no one to help me pick up the pieces. When I let everything else fall… who am I?

That silly girl who sticks her neck out for people far too often for her to stay sane? The one who doesn't hold failures and mistakes over other's heads for her own gain? The giver of far too many second chances? Or something- someone else entirely?

"I think we just passed it." Gabriel Roi's voice snaps me out of my stupor and I follow his back step. He proceeds down the almost passed hallway and stops at the third room on the right.

I pass him the three bundles of papers after he unlocks the door. "Two things: Be ready at dawn and answer to 'Alexandre' from the moment we leave, until we return." He turns on his heel with a 'why?' at the ready but does not give it voice. "You didn't take this job for you." With that, I leave him standing at the door.

"Why did you?"

I halt and the honest truth comes out before I can reconsider. "One part to please and the other to prove." I pace softly through the halls, past the atrium and up to the room missing the eastern wall. I sit where it all began to wait for the day to begin.


DH: Next Chapter, we get to the fun part that spawned this plot bunny. Please Review