"Think of how much free advertising you are getting by dressing the new Pythia for her inauguration," I told him. "This event will be covered in depth by the press. Wouldn't you like to see your name in print and have it read by almost everyone in the magical community? I'm only asking for a very small favor in return, and the Corps will honor these chits to partly offset the cost," I added.

"I don't have a men's wear line," sniffed Augustine.

"No time like the present to start something new," I announced. "I could always wear a dress made by someone else," I informed him, trying a different type of persuasion. Augustine ignored that. "Tell me exactly what it would take, technically, to accomplish this," I insisted.

"First, I don't have his measurements. I refuse to guess at those. A proper fit is half the task in itself." Augustine stroked his chin.

"Yes, you do. He was in here with me less than a week ago as my escort...and I know you capture all measurements whenever someone enters your shop," I told him knowingly. Augustine frowned and huffed in annoyance. He waved his hand at a nearby mannequin. It took on a very familiar shape, embarrassing in its anatomical correctness.

"Does he wear boxers or briefs?"

"Er…neither."

"Ah…commando then. We'll have to build in more room to hide the dragon." He made a slight gesture with his hand and the mannequin enlarged itself in the groin area. "Second, I don't have suitable material. The Mages are particular about their clothing. The cloth must hold repeated wards and the color must be regulation."

"Those chits I gave you will allow you to requisition the correct material from the Corps central supply office. You only need enough for one uniform."

"There isn't time!"

"I've seen you stitch together a complicated dress in an hour. I'm sure you can handle this. I know Duane has offered to pull together a dress for me in a few hours. Maybe I should take him up on it," I commented.

"That hack!"

Now was the time to let him draw his own conclusion. I stood there with my arms crossed and my foot tapping, waiting.

"Oh alright," he capitulated. He waved an apprentice over and handed her the chits, giving her orders and telling her to be firm with whoever worked in the Corps central supply office.

"She knows someone…" he explained. "Now…what kind of enchantments were you considering?"

I told him what I was thinking and he slowly smiled. I left the box of Pritkin's medals with Augustine and left, heading for my etiquette class.

I met Robert, the Chief Usher from the Pythian Court's Office of Protocol, in one of the smaller conference rooms at Dante's. He was pacing the room and looking at his timepiece when I walked in and said "good morning". He inspected me with a disdainful sniff and waved me over to a large, ornate chair.

"Please take a seat," he ordered. "We have a lot of material to cover."

I sat in the chair, self-consciously pulling at the hem of my shorts. The chair made me feel under-dressed. It was disconcerting to be made to feel inadequate by a piece of furniture.

"The first thing to remember," he lectured me, "is that the Pythia does not answer to anyone. You, My Lady, are at the top of the food chain in the magical world."

I had my doubts about that but I wasn't going to argue. I was here to learn. I wondered what the Dark Fey King would think of Robert's declaration.

"Second, the workings of the Pythian Court are private and will not be discussed outside the senior staff," he glared at me with an intensity that rivaled Pritkin at his worst.

"Third, all actions of the Pythia are recorded in the Pythian Chronicles without fail. This includes at a minimum every audience, every vision, and every shift through time. The Pythian Secretary will meet with you daily to accomplish this."

"Are the Chronicles like a personal diary?" I asked him.

"It differs by which Lady was in office and by who the Pythian Secretary was at the time. I understand some of the past Ladies have included more of a personal touch…although I have never read or seen the Chronicles. They are solely for the use of the Pythia and the Heir. You may access the Chronicles after you take office and not before," he said with a tone that would make even Pritkin pause. Wow, this guy was good.

"There are standard forms to fill out for each action." He gestured at a thick binder on the table. "You should acquaint yourself with the contents of that binder."

I groaned to myself. No one told me there was going to be so much paperwork with this job.

"Fourth, your primary task is to provide visions for approved supplicants. This is not a social position. You will be approached often whenever you are outside the Pythian Court, usually by those seeking favors without bothering with the formality required. You must tell all of them to contact the Pythian Court's Appointment Coordinator."

"So someone else decides who I will be providing a vision for?"

"Yes. The Appointment Coordinator staff will review the applications and weed out the frivolous requests, prioritize the requests, arrange for gratuities and liaise with the Pythian Court Housekeeper for use of the Visitor's Quarters. Those quarters were recently refurbished…they are quite stunning," he added with a hint of pleasure. I gathered he had a hand in that effort.

"Fifth, your secondary task is to select and train the Heir. Although with your history we may just set this task aside for now. All the girls qualified to be the Heir already know more than you do, so you won't be training anyone for a while."

"What about the Initiates?"

"The Silver Circle selects candidates and provides their initial training. The school is located on the premises of the Pythian Court…easier to guard that way."

"What about the children of staff members?" I asked, thinking of Pritkin and his plans for Jeannie.

"The school is not open to non-initiates," he stated firmly.

I might just change that, I thought to myself. Taking care of Pritkin and Jeannie's basic needs would keep him by my side longer.

"To complete your senior staff, there are Liaison Officers for each faction we usually deal with. These include the Vampire Senates, the Silver Circle, the Were Clan Council and the Light Fey. There is also a Press Secretary. You may or may not name a Consort at your discretion," he concluded.

"A Consort?"

"Strictly your choice. That position can be vacant if you wish, but past Ladies have frequently taken advantage and selected a Consort."

"Er…what exactly does the Consort do?"

"That is up to you, My Lady. You may wish to assign the position to a close friend who will accompany you to Court functions, for example he may serve as your companion at Court dinners. A good conversationalist and decent dancing skills are the usual requirements. He may serve as a personal advisor, and for any…er…further private activities you require," he finished diplomatically. "I must admit," he cleared his throat, "I heard Lord Mircea…"

"You heard wrong," I interrupted. "But I will think about what I need and decide who best might serve the Pythia in that position," I added crisply. "One other thing…I have a personal body guard who requires quarters at the Court. Family quarters," I added quickly. It didn't hurt to ask.

"That is …unusual, but I will see that it is arranged. Now, on to other matters. Have you reviewed the schedule for the inauguration?"

"Yes."

"Do you have any questions?"

"I just sit on the chair…"

"Throne. It is your throne."

"I sit on the throne and people stand before me and offer…what is the word?"

"Obeisance. But first the Lord Protector will announce your reign title. You have chosen 'Lady Cassandra', is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Your Court stationary is being printed as we speak."

"Then the war mages will swear to protect me," I continued.

"The war mages will kneel before you and swear to protect and obey you. For this event, just the senior officers will be present. At a later date, you will travel to various Regional Corps Headquarters and allow the lower ranks to swear to serve you."

"What war mage officer ranks will be present?"

"Knight Commander and above."

I smiled to myself. Pritkin had to come now.

"Remember…the Pythia does not bow to anyone, but you may incline your head to acknowledge a person. They are not to touch you. Some of them will try to kiss your hand. The older vampires behave that way," he sighed. "The Pythian Guard will prevent that. Following the presentation of dignitaries, you will proceed to the formal dining room for the dinner. Dancing will follow. Can you dance?" he asked.

"Yes. I had a governess. I am housebroken," I told him with some bite.

He ignored my sarcasm. "Excellent. Lord Mircea has been very gracious in hosting this event. His staff has been most helpful. I understand the Lord Protector, Mage Marsden, has already provided a guided tour of the Pythian Court?"

"Yes. How much of my time am I expected to be in residence there?"

"The Court is expected to be your primary residence. Why?"

"Lord Mircea is concerned for my safety. I may not move to the Court permanently yet."

He thought for a few moments. "Let me see what we can arrange in terms of telecommuting. Your audiences must be in person, but your visions can come to you in any location. We can make arrangements for electronic entries to the Chronicles. Your Pythian Secretary, Epatha, has modernized the Chronicles. You will meet her in Washington State, and I believe she will be providing a laptop for your use as well as a Blackberry or IPhone."

"That sounds good," I told him, intrigued. Too much of what I was dealing with lately was just old…ancient even. Swords and sorcery, archaic magic spells from a time long past, old vampires and a magician from over 1300 years ago. It was refreshing to hear of an ancient institution like the Pythian Court adopting modern technology. Maybe this portended my success at changing things at the Court. I was actually smiling when I said goodbye sometime later and headed up to my suite, hauling the binder along with me. I shut myself inside my suite and dropped the binder onto the coffee table with a solid thud. I headed for the bathroom, stripping as I anticipated a hot bath.

"Dulceata…how nice to see you," murmured Mircea softly as he stepped out of the adjoining bedroom, his eyes slowly caressing my naked self.