Attia had forced herself to change into a dress, despite how she hated such archaic fashions. Though she didn't wear her single Era dress, it was still a design better known as a historical one, complete with a corset and all. Though she would've been perfectly comfortable in her pants, Claudia had pointed out women in dresses, especially the most important women, would put the Northern Lords at ease. It was difficult to accept, but Attia knew she was right, and so, as she walked towards Finn's personal room, she fidgeted with her corset, hating the feel of it constricting her upper body. It wasn't even completely laced up, since she refused to let anybody help her dress. In fact, Attia and Keiro were the only ones who did not have anybody to serve them. They refused it.

She barged into the room, quickly shutting the door behind her. Ignoring Finn's shirtless state, Attia approached him and Keiro, before she turned her back to the two men. "Somebody lace me up," she demanded, and a moment of silence followed as Finn and Keiro eyed each other curiously.

"Don't you have someone to help with this?" Finn asked and Attia looked at him over her shoulder.

"I refuse to let anybody help me dress."

"Isn't that what I'm doing now?" Keiro asked smugly, and Attia turned away from Finn before he could see the embarrassment across her face. Keiro's nimble fingers skillfully laced the corset and tied it tightly, ignoring Attia's grunt when it pulled it too tight.

"A little breathing room, please?" Attia snapped but Keiro only laughed as he secured the knot and spun her around.

"I'm sure Claudia doesn't need any breathing room," Keiro commented, and Attia met him with a cold stare.

"Shame I can't keep up with the girl who has everything," Attia replied sharply before she turned her gaze to Finn. "Will you be ready in time?"

"Yeah," he answered with a slight shrug of his shoulders. In one hand, he was holding a shirt, one all three felt was far too embellished, but it was the symbol of royalty. "Is Casper supposed to be there?"

"Well, what Casper does and what he's supposed to do are two separate things."

"Then why am I here?" Keiro demanded as he turned to Attia, her narrowed eyes, keeping him more or less in check. Of course, since the two had shared a rather passionate and intimate moment perhaps half an hour ago, he was a bit more open to her demanding stares.

"Because both of you can't go around doing whatever you want at the same time," Attia answered sharply. "And you're far less annoying to get into fancy clothes and sit still for a two hour lunch than Casper is. Have you ever heard that man whine like a child? It makes me want to saw my ears off."

"You're not wearing shoes," Keiro replied and Attia only stared at the man, wondering exactly when he'd lost his mind. Certainly, it had been within the last half hour. Only a sane man could drive her to the heights Keiro was so utterly capable of. Not that she had any intention of making him aware of that, if he didn't already know.

"What?" Attia finally asked as the cold edge to her words and gaze faded into pure confusion.

"You don't make any noise when you walk. Those ridiculous shoes you all torture yourselves with, they click with every step. And you're not so talented in them to walk as quietly as you are right now," Keiro answered, not even noticing Finn, standing off to the side. As Finn was pulling his shirt on, he couldn't help but muse how easily Attia and Keiro could quip and banter with one another. They traded clever remarks faster and better than anybody else at Court.

"Maybe I'm not wearing heels, Keiro," Attia answered, her narrowed eyes sudden appearing more defensive than confused.

"You're not wearing anything. Look at how short you are," he laughed as he let his gaze travel down her form, and for once, Attia was glad she wore the dress she did. It did not hug her body, leaving Keiro gazing at just the outline the dress created instead of her actual curves. Not that he didn't know what those looked like anyway.

"I'm wearing shoes, Keiro."

"You're so tiny. I forgot how small you were." Keiro laughter grated on Attia's nerves, but some part of her so enjoyed the argument with him. Something about it was different, and she hadn't the slightest idea what had changed. Arguing with Keiro had never been anything but annoying and time-consuming. Had it been just that, she'd have already confessed to going barefoot, but now her pride got in the way.

"I'm not that small, Keiro."

"It's really not that convincing when I can see right over your head. Just admit it. You're taking full advantage of you long dress, here." Keiro stepped towards her, and dramatically compared his tall frame to her small one, before he reached down and pulled on the skirt of her dress. She hit the back of his hand before she met his gaze. Even though Keiro was a good foot taller than her, her unwavering gaze was far more intimidating than his stature.

"Even if I'm not wearing shoes, how many knives do you think I can hide under all this cloth?"

Keiro's expression faltered for just a moment before he met her gaze and held it. "I think you're bluffing."

"How much are you willing to bet on that?" Attia breathed back, her lips twisting into a smirk that was almost cruel. After a moment, Keiro stepped back from her and swung his head in an effort to flip his long blonde hair from his eyes.

"Attia," Finn called, pulling her attention away from Keiro. Though he hadn't won anything, his smug grin was ever present across his lips. "Can I ask your opinion on something?"

"Sure, Finn. What is it?" Attia asked calmly as she averted her eyes from Keiro and brushed passed him, effectively ignoring him. She approached Finn, who was retrieving something from one of the drawers on the desk near the window. Behind her, Attia could feel Keiro moving closer, but she tried not to pay any attention to him. He'd already gotten far too much of her attention lately.

"What do you think of this?" Finn asked as he turned back around, a small gold ring sitting in the palm of his hand. Attia, stunned into silence, only stared at the ring. She didn't take it from him until Finny held it between his fingers and handed it to her. She refocused her attention and narrowed her eyes at the diamond set in the gold. On each side of the diamond, small red jewels, probably rubies, were set.

"It's…" Attia shrugged before she looked up at Finn. "I don't think I'm the right one to ask, Finn," she admitted.

"Why on earth not?" he replied as he stared at her. "You're a woman, aren't you?"

"Well, yes, but…" Attia's voice had softened as she directed her eyes on the ring again. She had no doubt it was meant for Claudia. "It's beautiful, Finn, but everything here is to me. The smallest fake diamond is more beautiful than anything we ever had Inside. All of this is just… I guess, the women here don't know how to appreciate things that they've always had."

The room remained quiet as Attia slowly extended her arm, waiting for Finn to take the ring from her. The two men knew the truth to her words, since they too were easily amazed by things that were rather common to those who'd never seen Incarceron at its worst. "But it's wonderful," Attia added as Finn replaced the ring to the desk drawer.

"It was expensive."

"I imagine," Attia laughed as she turned away from Finn, her eye focusing on the scene the window overlooked. In the distance, she could see the dust from the coach and horses. She assumed it was the Northern Lords, who would be arriving any minute. "They'll be here soon. I'll see you two in a bit," she told them simply as she turned away and started towards the door.

"Are you wearing shoes?" Keiro yelled, but Attia only waved her arm back at him before she shut the door behind her, still leaving him without an answer.

The lunch was to be held in one of the larger offices, but Claudia had arranged for the office furniture to be removed. Instead, a long table was placed in the room, and ten chairs were placed carefully around it, though only six people were expected to attend the lunch. Finn was seated at the head of the table, Claudia on his right. Keiro was on his left, and when Attia arrived with the two Northern Lords, she would be seated on the other side of Claudia. Unexpectedly, Prince Casper strode into the room, receiving only blank stares from the three already in the room. Quickly rearranging themselves, Keiro moved down one seat, though not without protest, and Casper was seated on the left of Finn. Even he complained, claiming the King's brother should be on the right. Once the double doors opened, Casper quickly silenced himself, and the four looked to Attia, who lead the two men into the room.

"Your Majesty," the two men bowed to Finn, but Attia remained standing up straight off to the side of them. Only Keiro noticed her rolling her eyes, and once the men directed their attention to her again, a quickly smile spread across her lips and she motioned for them to take their seats. How talented she was at masking her true self behind the necessities of Court.

"My Lords," Claudia smiled at the men then raised her hand as she motioned to the one seated closest to Finn. "Giles, this is Lord Scotts. He governs the Northeastern lands, including the mountainsides. Lord Kingston owns the lands due north of Court and pieces of the western lands. He mostly has plains for farming and animal raising. They haven't been to Court since your coronation."

As Finn and the two lords looked at each other, Attia took her seat quietly on the other side of Claudia, her eyes watching Casper curiously. It was already one in the afternoon. She'd expected him to be nearly drunk with any number of maid hands by then.

"Court is beautiful, Your Majesty. Not quite what it was before, but considering what you had to work with, it's more than I expected," Lord Scotts commented as he looked straight at Finn. Claudia and Attia couldn't help but feel the underhanded insult to the words, but Finn kept his face still as he accepted the compliment. Even Keiro could hear the snide remark hidden within the kind words, but his sneer was perfectly visible to everyone in the room until Attia met him with a cold stare. He lifted his cup to cover half his face as he took a drink, and as he replaced the cup to the table top, his emotionless Court face was in place.

Claudia had once said Court was different since Finn had taken power, and in effect, Keiro and Attia had gained their power, but the three couldn't help but feel it was as cold and calculating as she said it had been before.

"I trust your finances haven't been as affected as everyone else's," Lord Kingston chuckled as he started to sip from his own cup.

"Actually, they are," Attia said boldly. Keiro rose an eyebrow as he watched Attia, seated across from him, with new found interest. "We've financed the rebuilding of Court as well as the nearby villages to help get normal life started again since Protocol has essentially blown up."

Claudia hid her amused smirk behind her napkin, and Finn cleared his throat so keep his smile from appearing. Casper didn't seem to know what was going on, and Keiro made no attempt to hide his grin whatsoever.

"We've received donations from many of the Lords, Dukes, Ladies, and whatnot over the last few months, but you two have remained rather… out of touch," Attia added as she shifted her gaze from one Lord to the other, then back again.

"It certainly isn't our duty to fix whatever problems the Royal family has created for themselves, now is it? But, my lady, our interest is in the King, not the company he chooses to keep."

Attia smiled at them, but nobody in the room was foolish enough to think it was a warm one. As she leaned back in her seat, she raised her hand to call over the wait staff, and had her cup filled. A few minutes later, the staff strode into the room carrying seven plates and set one down in front of each person seated at the table.

"Have you yet separated your personal finances from the royal ones, Your Majesty?" Lord Scotts asked as he peered up at Finn. Attia kept her gaze on her food as she took slow bites. When she peered up, she found Keiro's gaze on her, but she held it for only a moment.

"I have," Finn answered with a slight nod.

"How are they faring, then?"

Silence followed before Finn turned to Attia. Acting confused, Attia slowly peered up and kept her gaze on Finn. He knew she was making a point. Clearing his throat he motioned to the two Lords, and Attia directed her attention to them.

"What was the question?" she asked, sounding rather innocent as she set her fork down to the side of the plate and politely folded her hands on her lap. Keiro had started to laugh, but covered it with a forced cough he directed into his napkin. He'd never been so well behaved in his life, and he hope Attia was paying close attention. He definitely wanted something out of it.

"The King's finances," Lord Scotts replied before he cleared his throat and rose his eyebrow at Attia.

"Faring well, actually, My Lords," Attia answered, her usual business-like tone returning to her. "Neither his personal accounts, nor his business related ones, have been depleted if that's what you're asking. Though I must assume they don't hold a candle to your own accounts. From what I can figure, you two do keep impeccable records, and have not missed a month's rent from any of your tenets, even when nobody had a gold coin to give to anyone."

The Lords directed their gazes to their lunches, but Attia kept her gaze on them.

"It's comforting to know, such good staff has been hired to serve you, King Giles," Kingston commented as he ignored Attia's gaze and looked up at Finn. "It seems your finances are well kept, though the choice of a woman is questionable."

Attia would've commented, but Finn turned to her, one eyebrow only slightly higher than the other. She bit her tongue as she turned her attention to her food, determined to get through the lunch without an outburst.

"It's only questionable because you refuse to teach any of them how to read," Keiro commented, the harshness of his words rending an edge to his voice unnecessary. "And exactly what is the purpose of that? A world doomed to live in a history book forever, only men in power? And then what? They can't argue with you effectively? And we all know that's best way to things started."

If at any moment, the floor could open and swallow her, Attia knew it couldn't be too soon. She could also settle for it swallowing just Keiro.

"Well, Sir Keiro," Kingston turned his cold gaze to Keiro. "Only the decisions and opinions of the high ranking have any real weight to them."

"Interestingly enough," Attia spoke, but neither Lord dared turn in her direction. "His Grace, Keiro was elevated to High Duke of the Realm last month out of good favor of the King. That particular title, historically given to the King's closest friend, makes him a higher rank than each of you."

"Well, isn't this just good fun," Casper commented sarcastically before his finished his drink and motioned for another. "Attia, darling, you know how to put up a fight don't you?"

"You're drunk, Casper," Attia reminded him, desperately hoping his reference to a fight had nothing to do with the kind of fight Keiro was so interested in. "Remember our little agreement?"

"I'm not drunk just yet, sweets."

"Well, if you have nothing to contribute to the conversation, perhaps you would like to enjoy the rest of the afternoon elsewhere," Attia suggested and Casper flashed his boyish grin in her direction.

"How could I contribute anything to the conversation when you just handed them their manhood on a silver platter with an order of bruised ego on the side?"

"Prince Casper." Claudia could barely keep her laughter from showing in her voice as she called Casper's attention away from Attia. "I think there's a maid hand that could use your distraction from the mundane task of her daily chores."

"There's plenty of those, darling," Casper answered as he lifted his cup from the table and rose from the table without waiting to be dismissed by Finn as custom dictated. He left the room, but as the door was closing behind him, a messenger slipped into the room.

"Your Majesty," the messenger lowered his gaze to the floor. "I'm sorry to interrupt. There's something that requires your attention, My Lady Attia."

"Of course," Attia nodded before she turned to Finn, who only nodded at her. He knew she was only looking to him because the two Lords were present. She rose to her feet before she turned to Keiro. "Would you care to assist me?" she asked gently.

"God, yeah," Keiro scoffed as he stood up and quickly escaped the room with Attia. Nobody had noticed how his hand rested on the small of her back as they escaped and left Finn and Claudia with the two Lords.