BADUM! New chapter! :D

Raine: Accursed review…

No, Raine, we like reviewers. That inspire us out of the pit of our writer's block.

Raine: So all I need to do is find a way to disable reviews, and you'll cease this torment?

Do it, and I'll put you in spandex and have you cosplaying Yggdrassil.

Raine: …Oh Martel.

XD

That evening had seen a very pointed letter penned and sealed in the dim light of a desk lamp by a steady, well-practiced, and irate hand. He had been appalled to learn of such an abominable fate awaiting his own friend, in his own town. It was unacceptable, and something would be done to address it. Altamira owed her that much; he owed her that much. But as he placed his seal upon it, he paused in motion and turned it over to peer unseeing at its face. The back of his hand coming to rest against the surface of his desk, he leaned back slowly in his chair and allowed his mind to wander back a few hours into the past.

"It's personal."

"Laws can't change people."

"You're getting worked up over something silly, Regal. I'm surprised."

"Some things never change."

Regal gently laid the letter on his desk to await the first morning light, when it could be sent off with a courier on the early departure of one of the shipping lines, and rose to his feet. Pacing slowly toward the window, he peered out and upward to scan the sky. Something bothered him. Through all her words and every movement, there had been…something. Even despite her predictable and characteristic attempts to hide behind the mask he recognized, they both knew there was more to it. It was not just the face value of this one, isolated incident. She had been exhausted, and there was scarring there that went beyond the physical. And Genis did not even know? Could not know?

He closed his eyes and shook his head. It was not his place to presume so much as to meddle in matters she so clearly wanted to keep private. He worried for her, and undoubtedly would continue to worry for her, but as much as it unsettled him, he was all but powerless. All he could do was as much as propriety and courtesy would allow; and at the moment, duty demanded that he ensure Altamira's full repentance, perhaps a public apology from the ones responsible – though that was unlikely. They could have been guests, and that meant a ludicrously long and complicated search through records to find them. Regal narrowed his eyes before they closed entirely, and he turned his face away in angry regret. Justice was a cruel and unreliable master at times.

…His bed was calling. It had been a long day, and brooding over matters not even within his own control would accomplish nothing. So, as he tugged loose the ribbon holding back his hair, he closed the window and retreated across the floor, only stopping to extinguish his lamp. Sleep found him easily and in short order after he had crawled into bed, and he submitted willingly with his mind still on that defeated face, and the pain it brought to see.

He awoke the next morning, as usual, at the first few rays of dawn. Activity was starting to resume through the rest of the inn, as told by the subtle footsteps of maids shuffling about, and the businessman in him was well-accustomed to rising early. There was more to do here than even back at Headquarters, and sometimes it seemed there were not enough hours within the day in which to accomplish his agenda. Accordingly, his internal clock had shifted slightly, and he was convinced that his sleep was lighter these days because of it. It never helped, though, when he retired the prior night while in heavy thought.

Regal freed himself from the bedclothes and stretched, drawing in a deep breath to clear the lingering cobwebs before he slipped into the washroom. The first order of business was, of course, a thorough shower, warm enough to be tolerable but leaning to the cooler side; it was an effective wake-up call, and part of his morning routine. He had been called a masochist, and given many of his life choices and circumstances, perhaps such a case could be argued, but he preferred the term, "practical". He was not a man to often indulge himself.

Clean and now alert, he toweled his hair and dressed himself before the full-length mirror set up against one wall. As he lifted his chin to straighten the tie, the Duke peered thoughtfully at his own reflection. Something occurred to him: if Genis was staying here but Raine was not, she would be on her own wherever she went after leaving. And given that she herself had admitted to not yet deciding where she would go, and in light of her story, there was no guarantee that where she ended up, or the journey to get there, would be safe for her.

Was he comfortable with that?

Regal lowered his hands slowly, his frown subtle but pensive. It was not his place to get involved, as he had determined the night before. However, perhaps for her own good, he would mention his concerns. He could not force her into any action, of course; but maybe he could convince her to be cautious, at least. Maybe he could even do something to ensure her safe passage somewhere. Being the president of a company had its advantages, after all. A guarded escort would be impractical and insulting to the woman in question, but there was nothing wrong with booking some kind of passage for her convenience.

It was with these intentions that Regal descended the stairs that morning to start his early day. He nodded a good natured greeting to the maids and other guests he passed and stepped out into the sunlight, pausing for a brief moment to enjoy the pleasant, coastal warmth. It was a climate he was well used to by now. Altamira was no winter wonderland. It also didn't have the same peaceful air about it as did this city, though. Oh, his resort would always have his favor out of biased pride, but one could hardly deny the beauty of a rose, even if one admires the lily.

On his way through the streets, he was surprised at something he saw. Or rather, someone. There on a bench near the Academy sat the object of so many of his musings herself. One leg was crossed over the other, her back straight in a dignified posture; a book lay in her lap supported by one hand, the other only occasionally lifting to turn a page as she read through a veil of hair tossed by the lazy breeze. His brow arched a little higher. Already up, this early? Well, perhaps that made his mission that much easier to accomplish.

The man approached his old companion, his hands once more linked behind his back. His pace was easy, and when he came to a halt beside her bench, he rested one hand along the wooden back. "Good morning," he greeted. "You're certainly an early riser, aren't you?"

Raine glanced upward. Closing her book gently on one finger, she leaned back slightly to dip her head in her own acknowledgment. "I've always been a morning person by nature. Without Lloyd to drag it out, dawn can once again come early." There was no hint of last night's conversation in her voice, in her posture, or in her expression. She was the picture of perfect calm, as cool and stable as ever. Her offended hand, however, lay palm-down in her lap, and she had once more opted for lengthy sleeves.

Regal chuckled slightly. "Is your brother as quick to wake as you are?"

One slender eyebrow lifted. "Only when he has to be," she replied dryly.

"No doubt that has been often these past years, I daresay."

She marked her place more permanently and smoothed the cover of her book closed. "Neither of us particularly liked staying in one place for very long during our journey, for more reasons than one. We were accustomed to getting up at the first light and going on our way." Raine shifted a bit to more easily face him, though he caught the movement only from the corner of his eye. His gaze scanned the cloud-spotted sky briefly, instead, listening to her speak. "You're up and about early, yourself. Another occupational hazard?" the half-elf quipped.

One corner of his mouth twitched at the subtle joke, and he looked down at her with a slight nod of his head. "Few rewards," he repeated. "Going back to your brother, is he nearby?" It was strange to see one Sage without the other.

Sure enough, she gave a vague nod toward the Academy building. "Official enrollment and registration begins today. Genis is inside getting settled. In a few days, I'll be leaving, and he'll be on his own." A pause, and she shook her head with a quietly added, "Strange."

"Your days might get quieter," Regal observed, though after a beat amended more to himself, "Or perhaps not." His concerns about her solitude still stood.

Casually, as he shifted his weight a little to find a more comfortable position, he introduced the subject. "Have you decided yet where you'll go from here?" His eyes shifted briefly to her, gauging her reaction subtly like the politician and businessman he was, but his face remained impassive and politely interested.

Raine drew a slow breath and set her book gently beside her. "Yes, actually. For now, at least, I will be heading to Sybak. I've heard about several books there that I've been wanting to get my hands on for a while now."

Sybak. Regal turned the concept over in his mind a bit. It was a town not given to affection toward her people, and the idea of her traveling there alone didn't do much to ease his misgivings. If anything, he was more determined now than ever to ensure her well-being. Perhaps he was again overstepping his bounds, but having her harbor some animosity toward him was a small price to pay if it meant she would be safe.

His face betraying none of this inner analysis, he instead nodded slightly with a faint, knowing smile. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, should I?" He straightened up and came around to her other side, where there was an empty space on the bench large enough for him to sit and still leave ample distance between them. "Actually, it's fortunate that I found you. I wanted to speak with you about something."

She glanced at him. Her expression was cool, but he knew she had to be growing wary of his conversation by now. He had, after all, pried much further into her affairs than most people probably dared. The Duke met her gaze evenly, though, pressing forward. "It's a long trip to Sybak."

"I have plenty of time."

"Yes. But I would like to do what I can to ease the passing of that time." Regal leaned forward on his thighs, but he never broke eye contact. "Would you allow me to arrange passage to the other continent, Raine?"

Raine cocked an eyebrow in a familiar expression. "You don't have to do that, Regal. I'm a big girl; I can find my own means of transportation."

"I know you can," he replied diplomatically. "Most of the open sea routes are controlled by the Lezareno Group, however. It would be no trouble at all – quite the opposite, actually – to secure a ship." Oh, he was aware of just how much she hated the ocean. Unfortunately, it was the only way to get where she intended to go.

She shook her head. "You have enough to do here already without trying to become a travel agent for aimless wanderers."

Regal chuckled, and the two lapsed into a few moments of silence, mutually watching the people walking by. She was never one to ask for help, nor to accept it easily. He supposed they were similar on more levels than one.

At long last, after considering his options, he leaned back with a decision in his mind and a trick up his sleeve. "Actually, I do have some business that takes me that way. I wanted to spare myself the indignity of admitting it, but after so long surrounded by nothing but nobility and business affiliates, I was rather pleased to hear of our shared directions. The company of an old friend would be a welcome change. You would spare an old man from a very uninspiring voyage and provide some intelligent discourse, I'm sure."

There, now. Who could say no to that? Raine Sage was an independent woman, so to broach the subject as though she could not handle herself was a mistake. However, if he provided a more self-centered reason for her to accompany him, his victory was much more assured. Besides, this way, he would be able to look after her himself. Anyone with ill intent would be hard pressed to get to her through him. Perhaps he was being too protective, overly cautious, but her story had unnerved him. He did not want history repeating itself.

Raine glanced at him, her face as unreadable as he hoped his was. It was impossible to tell whether or not she saw through this story, and for a few seconds, they seemed to be performing a stationary dance around a proverbial ballroom, polite and graceful and scripted. Neither knowing quite what the other was thinking, seeing only the pretty and careful steps. Finally, she was the one to break the gaze as she straightened up and idly scratched her leg.

"I suppose it makes as much sense as anything else, if you're already planning to go."

There it was: his triumph. She had agreed – without a fight, no less. She would have a safe journey, despite the sailing, and he would get a chance to be up and away from this stage, if only for a little while. He hadn't been entirely untruthful; it was refreshing to have one of his companions around, and no doubt they could entertain each other with conversation. Therefore, Regal permitted himself a very small smile.

"I appreciate it." As she stood, so did he. She looked so slight and unimposing, standing at least six inches below him. Looks could indeed be deceiving. "There are some loose ends I would like to tie up here before we depart. You said you wanted to spend a few more days here with your brother, correct?"

She nodded and retrieved her book from the bench. "Classes begin shortly, but until then, we've decided to postpone our goodbyes."

"Very well. In that case, I've taken enough of your time. I'll let you know as soon as the arrangements are made." Regal almost picked up her hand habitually, but he managed to stop himself. It made her uncomfortable…and the only free hand she had happened to bear the memento of a nightmare.

He watched her go, cool and unaffected as always, and scratched the side of his jaw. Now…to arrange this alleged business.

You two make such a good pair. You're both so quiet and secretive. But Regal's scheming around your isolation complex. :D

Raine: I refuse to be part of this banter on the grounds that it may end up very horribly for me in the overflow of your deranged mind.

…You take all the fun out of everything, Prissy Pants.

Raine: -opens mouth- …-closes it- … -facepalm- Just go away.

Teehee. Look for the next chapter!