"Don't look so mopey." Alicia said with a grin as she reclined in her chair, sipping a steaming mug of tea. "I'm sure Jarvan didn't mean to take so long. I'd be willing to bet he'll be along any time now."
Shyvana pushed the remnants of a sandwich around on her plate, leaning heavily on her arm, her elbow resting on the table. She looked up at Alicia and then over to the two others, both Luxanna and Delancey watching her with middling frowns upon their faces. There was concern in their expressions as they watched the dragoness. Shyvana sighed as she sat up, though she stared at her plate.
"It's not that bad." Luxanna offered encouraging words, a warm smile upon her face. "Things like this happen all the time. Both brother and father get called away to emergency meetings with fair frequency, more so when something big is happening, like this Kalamanda mobilization, so it's only to be expected." Luxanna shrugged, pouring herself another cup of tea. She stirred cream and a spoon of sugar into her cup and then held it in both of her hands, looking at the murky liquid with a slight crease of her brow. She took a deep breath of the steam that was drifting off the surface of her tea and relaxed her expression, offing Shyvana a bright eyed and hopeful smile. "Sometimes, it just can't be helped."
"I know, I know." Shyvana said, sadly, her shoulders drooping. "I just wanted to spend some of my time off with him today. The only time I've got to see him about is when we've been training, even yesterday. We spent almost all day fighting."
"That's a bad thing?" Alicia said with a grin. "And I was under the impression that you had already gotten to see more of him in the last week than you had in the last month combined."
"Well, yes." Shyvana said softly, frowning slightly. "But still..."
"And hey, you got to see all of him last night, right?" Delancey said, leaning over and nudging Shyvana with her arm, wearing a mischievous grin. "I really don't know what you're complaining about." The sergeant added a playful wink.
"Del!" Shyvana hissed, blushing. "I asked you not to say anything!"
"She didn't need to say much." Alicia said, leaning back and grinning. "I had a hunch." Shyvana glared at the table and said nothing, her face burning a bright red. "So what now?" Alicia asked, leaning back and kicking her knee up against the table as she sucked on a decorative straw that bobbed in her drink. She kicked back and grabbed another pretzel from a bowl left on the table. She took the long thin pretzel stick and nibbled on it as if she were smoking something. "Got anywhere else you want to visit?"
"Well, we already visited the lingerie shop, we got Shyvana a dress, both you and Del got your dress uniforms tailored." Luxanna said, ticking things off her fingers. "I got to check out that magic shop I wanted to see and we just grabbed a late lunch, so..."
"We can always just walk around some more." Delancey said with a shrug, looking back over her shoulder at the mostly deserted streets. "The snow has cleared the streets for the most part."
"Eh..." Alicia frowned and kicked herself back further, exhaling. "We could I suppose, but do we even know where to meet Jarvan?" Alicia looked to Shyvana but the dragoness frowned and shook her head.
"He was gone before I woke up this morning." Shyvana said, color still marking her cheeks. "I didn't even get the chance to talk to him before he had disappeared. Noel said he was going to meet us for lunch, but we waited pretty late and we still didn't see him."
"Oh well." Alicia said, shrugging. "I suppose we can just kick around until we run into him then."
"Shyvana, didn't you have a suit of armor being made for you by the Iron Ambassador?" Delancey asked, raising an eyebrow and frowning slightly. "Did you ever pick it up? I know you've been using and destroying a steady stream of standard Demacian fatigues and armor plates. You're up to what, twelves pairs of fatigues that you've managed to ruin in the past three weeks?"
"Fourteen." Alicia said, sitting back and shaking her head. "They don't exactly stand up well to the flames, especially as hot as she gets when fighting." Alicia chuckled at Shyvana's expense, the dragoness blushing a deep shade of red as she looked down at her lap.
"Is that why you and Jarvan decided to just forgo clothes altogether for your 'training' last night?" Delancey said, chuckling as she ducked a pretzel that Shyvana threw at her.
"Del, you jerk!" Shyvana said, puffing out a cheek as she glared at the sergeant. "We actually spent most of the evening boxing. Jarvan is teaching me how." Shyvana slapped a fist into an open hand. "Perhaps you'd like to see what I learned?"
"Yeah, yeah, No more jokes." Delancey chuckled softly as she pulled herself to her feet. "Come on, we've got nothing better to do anyways while we wait, we might as well walk around." Shyvana looked to the others women who sat around the table. Lux shrugged and Alicia nodded. "Let's get out of here." She stood up and yawned, stretching her arms and looking about. She started to dig in her pockets but Shyvana tapped her on the shoulder and shook her head.
"No, I've got it." Shyvana said, smiling sadly. Delancey started to raise an eyebrow but Shyvana shook her head again and started towards the till and the waiting attendant. "It's just my way of saying thank you for to today." She turned to look at Alicia and Luxanna. "All of you. I've had a really good time today. I don't think I've ever had such a fun time in my entire life. It's nice to pretend to be normal for once."
"You don't need to pretend." Alicia said softly, smiling as she pulled on her jacket and patted Shyvana on the shoulder. "You're as normal as the rest of us."
"Do any of you turn into a giant, fire-breathing dragon when you get angry, though?" Shyvana said sarcastically, though she softened the almost venomous tone with a smile.
"Yeah and none of us are sleeping with the prince!" Delancey added with a whisper that earned her a cross look from the dragoness.
"Did you get recruited into the special forces as a teenager?" Lux said, crossing her arms over her chest almost defensively. Luxanna obviously noticed that she had sudden become cold and distant because she forced herself to uncoil and she offered Shyvana a smile, though there was something else behind the expression. "You're not alone in being different, Shyvana. You're just a bit more unique than the rest of us."
"If that's what you call it." Shyvana said, laughing as she paid the cashier and then followed the others out onto the street. "At least you guys fit in." Shyvana look a deep breath as she let the attendant handle her change. She accepted the money in return and slid it into one pocket.
"Hey." Alicia said aloud, sternly enough to draw the dragoness's full attention, gently punching Shyvana's shoulder, turning the dragoness's thoughts away from the dour. "You being here with us is proof enough that you fit in. Now, where to?"
"I think I might just go back to the barracks and take a nap." Shyvana said, toeing the crust of a bank of ice covered snow with a frown as the others followed her outside.
"Oh, no you're not." Delancey said, getting behind Shyvana with a wide grin on her face. "Not yet." She pushed upon Shyvana's back, getting the dragoness moving down the street. Shyvana tried to turn away, back towards the palace grounds, but Alicia grabbed her arm and tugged her along. "We got you a dress and now it's time to get you some armor. Im tired of filling out paperwork every time I have to put in a request for another uniform for you. It was commissioned and I know for a fact that it was finished. It needs to be fit, so don't even try resisting, we're going."
"How did you…" Shyvana started to ask.
"Nope!" Delancey snapped excitedly. "Now, forward, march!"
Shyvana looked rueful but she finally acquiesced and nodded her head. "Fine." She murmured softly. "Let's go."
The softly lit shop stood out amid the darkened street like a beacon. Most of the shops had closed early for the day due to the snow that had been falling through the day. Though light and feathery, like the down of the goose, the snow bearing clouds had darkened overhead and threatened to turn into a blizzard. A few people bustled along the street in a hurry here and there, arms full of groceries and last minute purchases for the looming inclement weather.
"Why can't I just go home?" Shyvana said, dragging her feet along the ground. "I don't feel well." She looked up to Delancey who wore a wide grin and paid her no heed. Shyvana then turned to Alicia, and while the gunnery sergeant offered her a smile, she continued to steer Shyvana with a firm grasp upon the shoulder towards the shop. "June, Del…"
"If you don't stop complaining, I'm going to tape your mouth shut!" Alicia said with only a bit of frustration marring her voice. "You don't have a choice in this, girl. You might as well pick up your feet and walk a bit faster."
Shyvana stuck her tongue out at Alicia and cast a wayward glance at Luxanna. The young sorceress smiled brightly at her and gestured towards the sop with a hopeful look on her face. Shyvana blinked twice and again looked to Delancey. The young, blonde sergeant looked about fit to pop, as if she had something welled up inside of her that was itching to get out. Her lips were pressed into a hard line, but the brilliant sparkle of her green eyes framed by her bright blue forelocks betrayed the giddiness she was feeling. Shyvana jabbed her in the side with a finger and grimaced at she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. The sergeant squealed in surprise and hissed, glancing over at Shyvana with a shocked and angry look. The playfulness hadn't drained away though.
"Spill it." Shyvana growled at her, glancing over at Alicia who was still busy guiding her along towards Blomgrum's armor shop. "You know something."
Delancey glanced away, refusing to meet the dragoness's gaze. "I shouldn't. It would ruin the surprise."
"Bite your tongue, Del." Alicia snaped, rolling her eyes as she stopped outside the armor shop. The shop was softly lit and it showed its age, dust on the displays in the windows, cobwebs in the corners, and the path was covered in snow and unsalted. There were only a few pairs of tracks of boots that had led towards the door in the snow that had drifted under the awning. One set looked massive compared to the others; it almost twice that of Shyvana's own boot size. "Come on, we're expected."
"We... are?" Shyvana said, looking from Delancey to Alicia. The gunny beamed at her, her pale cheeks glowing in the cold wind. Shyvana looked back to Delancey who was now so excited she was red in the face. She bit her lower lip and was practically bouncing in her boots as she jerked her head towards the door.
"Go!" She hissed excitedly. "He's waiting for you."
"Del!" Alicia said disapprovingly, but when Shyvana looked to the gunny, the disapproving look dissolved into a smile. Go, she mouthed.
Shyvana nodded breathlessly, her voice caught in her throat. She fumbled with the doorknob for a brief moment before she finally managed to work the latch and she practically bowled the heavy wooden door down. She looked around the room desperately, only the tall stacks of heavy metal and leather scraps that littered every surface could be seen though. They were everywhere, obstructing everything in Shyvana's vision, but she stopped dead in her tracks and she took a deep breath. She sniffed the air a few times.
Cocoa, ash, and metal polish. Shyvana looked around, there was light in the back of the building, filtering down through an open doorway. Soft music and the sound of two voices, through indistinguishable, could be heard from beyond the door.
"Up here!" The voice was deep and strong, and though it was almost cheeky, it sent a shiver down Shyvana's spine. She bolted up the stairs and stood in the doorway, glaring furiously at the man who sat reclined on a small couch within the invitingly warm room. Jarvan sat on one of couches of Poppy's parlor, a child-like grin on his face as he sipped a cup of cocoa. Shyvana's face was red, her hair disheveled and there was a mix of relief and anger on her face as she glared at him.
"Hey, love. I wondered how long it was going to actually take you." Jarvan said non-nonchalantly as he set his mug down on the table and leaned forward. Black hair fell into his face, his blue-grey eyes dancing playfully as he watched Shyvana threaten to explode with nothing more than a cheeky grin on his face. The silence was broken as steps came tromping up behind the dragoness, the sound of female voices coming from below as well.
"You think she's going to be mad?" That was Delancey's voice.
"Maybe. But I think she'll be happy about the surprise rather than angry." That was Delancey.
"As long as she doesn't take my head off with yours, I don't care." Jarvan could hear Lux shaking her head as she rounded the curved staircase and then froze on the steps. Shyvana turned slowly, her hands posted on her hips as flames sparkled around her fists. She growled softly as she glared down at the other women.
"Surprise?" Alicia and Delancey said together, grinning nervously. Flames threatened to burst to light around Shyvana's fists as Jarvan got to his feet, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Shy..." He spoke softly.
"Oi!" Poppy snapped as she appeared bearing a golden tray of cups and a large pot of piping hot cocoa. "No flames in the house. It's bad enough worrying about my own furnace, I don't need a walking flamethrower causing more trouble."
Shyvana looked over her shoulder, casting the furry, diminutive blue creature a frown. Poppy's ears stood up a bit taller, pivoting about as if they could sense the frown. Shyvana sighed, the flames dying as she stepped out of the doorway and turned towards Jarvan. The dragoness glared at him for a brief moment as a smile broke out over his face.
"Jarvan Lightshield!" She snapped, shocking the goofy grin from his face as he watched her take a step forward. He sat up straighter and looked to her with surprise on his face, obviously unsure about what to expect. Shyvana dived at him, launching herself forward as if she had been fired out of a cannon. The entire sofa rocked backwards as Shyvana furiously wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed with all her might. Jarvan's arms exploded out to the arms of the small couch, grasping desperately at them to try and balance himself as he kicked his legs out to try and keep the entire couch from tipping over backwards. He yelped in surprise as the sofa rocked back and then slammed down onto the floor. A side table had gone crashing backwards as well, shattering an empty teacup into a million pieces, several heavy texts crashing to the floor and a heavy china mug clattering across the floor boards.
"You great, big idiot!" Shyvana shouted, holding onto him as she pressed her face into his neck.
"It's good to see you too." Jarvan gasped, his face starting to turn purple.
"You may wish to let him go, Shyvana." Poppy said, setting the tray down on the coffee table. "He looks like he's about to suffocate."
Shyvana sat back, curling up in his lap, blushing slightly as Jarvan gasped for air. Luxanna, Delancey and Alicia all laughed as they poured into the room from the stairwell, piling their bags and coats next to the door at the yordle's insistence. They filed onto one of the Yordle's couches around the fireplace as Jarvan picked up the pieces of the broken cup, Shyvana curled into his side, tucking one of the couch's pillows into her lap. Poppy handed out steaming mugs from the tray she had produced.
"I'll be right back, I need to close up downstairs." Poppy said, eying the gaggle of Demacians who now sat in her parlor, each nursing a warm mug of cocoa. "Try not to destroy anything or light the curtains on fire." Poppy gave Shyvana a curious glare, but the dragoness blushed slightly and nodded, looking down into her lap until the Yordle rolled her eyes and disappeared down the staircase.
A few moments of silence followed.
"You know, you could have told me that you were planning this." Shyvana spoke to no one in particular and for a while no one spoke up in response. Jarvan grinned and the others simply ignored the comment. Shyvana pouted slightly, turning on Jarvan as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't like surprises." She looked down to her cup. "Usually." The gentle sound of laughter again filled the room.
"Don't take it out on them, it was my idea actually." Jarvan said, shrugging. "It was unfortunate that I had a meeting to attend, but I couldn't avoid it."
"What was the meeting about?" Alicia said, setting her half empty mug down on the coffee table. She loosened her scarf around her neck as she sat back stretching her legs.
Jarvan leaned forward, brushing Shyvana off just lightly enough that it was noticeable that it wasn't intended to be intentional, but under the scathing gaze of the other Demacians, the motion didn't go unnoticed. He frowned darkly for several long moments before he heaved a sigh and shook his head slightly. "Politics."
Delancey snorted aloud, nearly sending hot chocolate spewing out of her nose. She laughed aloud for several moments but, the stares from the others quickly silenced her. She rubbed her nose and then glanced to the ground. "Sorry." She took a sip from her cup to hide her nerves and then looked up to Jarvan. "You? Politics? You hate politics."
"I hate messy politics." Jarvan corrected her with an angry frown. He slumped back and let Shyvana slide her hand into his. A mask of frustration slid onto his face as he glared at his lap. "You know what creates messy politics? Family. As far as families and messy politics go, I think I just about hit the jackpot. My father is the king, the world seems to be falling apart around me, and the politics... the politics are dragging me into the ground. There is a power struggle in the Demacian command structure that I've managed to get dragged into, and I'm getting frustrated with being a pawn in all of the games."
"You speak of Lorcan and Jormander, yes?" Luxanna said, looking to Jarvan. The prince nodded.
"I suppose I shouldn't talk about your boss in front of you though." Jarvan said with a begrudging grin. "You're probably under obligation to report anything and everything I say to him, yes?"
"The thought had crossed my mind, but I do have to say, Jormander is a jerk." Lux sneered, her normally smiley demeanor corroding to a brief moment of disgust and frustration. She took a deep breath and exhaled to calm herself. "He likes to micromanage. He nearly cost me my life when I was leaving Noxus because he wanted information a few days sooner than I was able to provide. One of his men tried to make contact before I left the city."
"We ran into similar troubles, but most of that was self-manufactured." Jarvan said, shrugging.
"Luckily, they were looking for a dragon and a hulking idiot." Shyvana said, grinning as she sat back, poking Jarvan in the arm.
He grinned and shrugged. "We got out safely."
"You nearly drowned me!" Shyvana balked, fitting Jarvan with a fiery gaze.
"I had forgotten about that…" Jarvan scratched his cheek nervously, wearing a guilty smile.
"I haven't." Shyvana said, shaking her head in mock disgust as she sat back.
"There are a LOT of details you left out of your report, aren't there…" Delancey said, shaking her head as she gave Jarvan an exasperated frown.
"It was complicated." Jarvan muttered, glancing away. "Regardless, what's past is past. I had a number of things to ask the ambassador, but unfortunately I haven't had the chance yet. You all arrived a bit sooner than I expected."
"Dragons are impatient creatures." Alicia said with a smile.
"I will have you know, Dragons are extremely patient creatures." Shyvana protested, sticking her nose up in the air.
"Luckily you're only half dragon, love." Jarvan said, chuckling softly. Shyvana blushed and nodded, again eliciting laughter from the others.
"So you hoped Ambassador Poppy could help you gain some sort of handle on the situation?" Luxanna said over the top of her cup of cocoa as the conversation started to die.
Jarvan nodded. "That was the idea, yes. However... many of the issues are vastly more complicated than I wish get involved in." Jarvan frowned as he glanced over at Shyvana. He met her gaze for a brief moment and then he had to glance away.
"What?" Shyvana said, tugging on his arm with frown. "Don't tell me your father has more issues with you and I…"
"For once, no." Jarvan said, shaking his head slightly as he frowned. "But it was something Lorcan told me. He spoke of how we, you and I, may face resistance at the hands of the Demacian people."
"Aye, steeped in tradition and rigid loyalty, the Demacian people." Alicia said with a nod, frowning thoughtfully. "They won't be easily swayed."
"What does that mean?" Shyvana said, frustration just starting to seep into her voice. She looked to Jarvan, pain in her eyes.
"I don't know, yet." Jarvan grunted softly, shaking his head. "It may not mean anything, it may mean everything." Shyvana sank back in her seat, pulling away from Jarvan with a glum expression. She brushed red hair from her face as she grimaced. Jarvan sighed heavily, sitting back. "It won't change anything between us, Shyvana." He spoke firmly, resolutely. "Nothing can change what we have, and I want you to know that. But it may delay things in the long run." He exhaled sharply, shaking his head.
"I'd just stick to sleeping with each other for now." Delancey said, grinning like a preening cat. "Marriage will have to wait. Or you could just put out a poll if you want to judge public opinion."
"Bite your tongue." Jarvan snapped at the sergeant. He shook his head. "It's not like everyone knows who Shyvana is anyways. "
"You'd be surprised." Alicia said, grinning, winking at Shyvana. "Word of your exploits spread like wildfire when you returned, prince. It didn't take long for the rumors of the mysterious red head who returned with you to propagate. Hell, I think I heard an ongoing rumor about how Shyvana was Katarina du Couteau in disguise for a while. But then again, why the hell would you be with her?" Alicia laughed lightly. Jarvan and Shyvana glanced at each other, both of them remaining perfectly silent.
"That's crazy." Jarvan said, shaking his head to reinforce his words. "But I don't want to think about that right now." He tugged Shyvana over and kissed the crown of her head. The dragoness blushed slightly, but the rift between them narrowed noticeably. "It'll all work out in time, I have faith."
"What else was discussed at the meeting?" Shyvana asked, tucking into Jarvan's side, steering the conversation away from that topic. "I assume it was something to do with the move to Kalamanda soon?"
"That was supposed to be the focus of the meeting, yes, but things… didn't really go as planned." Jarvan said, looking to Delancey. She shot him a quizzical look. "What do you know about Wallace Lee?"
"Lee?" Delancey said, surprised, frowning. "Well, I know he's a Demsec agent who graduated two years before me at the academy." She paused, thinking. "He's had experience with the Military Police, served in the Freljord for a while, and uses some sort of mix of magic and sword play. I think. Oh, and he has a boyfriend?" She shrugged. "Looking back, I guess I don't actually know that much about him."
"Well Lorcan made a move on Jormander's command today at the meeting. When the issue of my interrogation and torture came up, Lee also came up." Jarvan grimaced. "As it turns out, the Wallace Lee we know isn't actually Wallace Lee. The real one died in the Freljord sometime last year."
Delancey's face blanked. "Then who… who have I been working with for the last three months?"
"Exactly." Jarvan said softly. "But that's only the tip of the iceberg. Between the bungle of Lee's identity and the issues that have arisen with me, Jormander lost his command due to all this negligence, and that effectively killed the meeting."
"So wait…" Delancey's shoulders sank and she shook her head in frustration. "What the hell is going on?"
"I'd say he was an assassin, but I still think he was defending me during the invasion of my room, and honestly, I don't know who the hell he is, or even what his goals were." Jarvan muttered through a mask of frustration.
"So what are you going to do now?" Alicia asked, crossing her legs in front of her.
"I'm not exactly sure why father wants me to go with him to Kalamanda, but I'm trying my best right now to understand." Jarvan frowned. "I'm going to continue helping Shyvana as best I can, but I'm getting to the point where I don't know what else I can do help." Shyvana smiled sweetly at him. "With the ball coming up at the end of the week though…"
"Though you would like to be ready for the move to Kalamanda mentally and politically by that point, yes?" Poppy said with a frown, stepping back into the room and posting her fists on her hips, a slightly agitated eyebrow perched on her furry face.
Jarvan nodded. "I don't know what father could want from me. I'm a soldier, not a politician."
"You seem to maintain an interesting view of what politics are, Prince Lightshield." Poppy said, sitting down in her chair and sighing heavily as she looking down into her cup. "Your family is heavily invested in the world's geopolitical environment, but you as the prince have only just barely scratched the surface of those depths. The growing tensions in the north, the conflict in Ionia, all of the recent politicking... it's all directly tied to your family in one way or another. You need to see that and you need to start taking responsibility." She took a sip of her cocoa, and frowned, setting the mug down on the small table next to her chair. "You're not a child anymore, and your father can see this. He wants you to start taking responsibility for your actions and he obviously wants you to start taking interest and responsibility within Demacia's political scene."
Jarvan clenched his fists and snarled, though the noise died in his throat. "But why? I don't want anything to do with it."
"Like it or not, your highness, you have an obligation to yourself, your name, your people and the legacy that you must fulfil." Poppy paused, letting the weight of her words sink in. "You are the Prince. You are going to be king one day, if you don't get yourself killed first." She shook her head and sighed. "Regardless, your father is trying to teach you how to be king; how to lead and rule a nation. If you don't start learning now, you're going to have a problem if you are ever forced into the position before you're ready."
"I know…" Jarvan grumbled, but he sat back, shaking his head as he sighed. "Why can't he just say that then? I may not be the best student, but I know how to learn."
"Knowing how to learn and actually learning are two completely different things." Poppy said with a sharp laugh. "You, young Prince Jarvan, have a reputation for stubbornness and an aversion to the book. You can't fight your way through politics, it doesn't work like that."
"Well, that's not entirely true." Lux said softly, a thin smile on her face. "My father describes politics as a heated war of words. Your mind and your tongue are your sword and shield, and the lines are even blurrier than that of the battlefield." Lux looked at the diminutive blue creature. "The battlefield may be the council chambers, but with every new player, a new agenda is introduced. There are no soldiers in politics, only smaller players."
"Aptly put." Poppy said, nodding her head slowly and sighing.
"Thank you." Jarvan said, nodding his head in Lux's direction, smiling. "See, not everyone has as little faith in me as you, ambassa-…"
"Jarvan, you're like a brother to me, but don't let my use of an analogy cloud the meaning." Lux said, raising a finger. "An analogy is merely a comparison between two dissimilar things, typically on the basis of their structure, used for the clarification of a point. In your case, I highly doubt your battle prowess will relate to prowess in in politics, though if your hotheadedness is any indication, you may face similar problems to what you've been up against in the past."
"You're not helping." Jarvan growled.
"And I'm not here to stroke your ego, Jarvan." Lux said said, glaring at him.
"I'll refrain from making the obvious joke about who strokes Jarvan's what for now." Delancey said with a thin grin, though it faded slightly as Jarvan sighed and Shyvana blushed furiously, fitting the sergeant with an angry glare.
"Mistress Crownguard has a point, though." Poppy said, shaking her head and ignoring Delancey's quip. "You need to actually start learning, your highness. Your father isn't going to be around forever, and antagonizing him at every turn and purposely trying to avoid getting involved in politics is only going to hold you back. You should embrace the fact that he is including you and do your best to learn what you can." Jarvan stared at the wooden floor, his chin resting on a fist, his elbow posted on his knee. "Kalamanda is a perfect region for your father to do this for you. The situation is both complicated and delicate. With the desire for a peaceful outcome, you and your father will have to be careful with your footing, but you do have the favorable advantage going into the region."
"You speak of my family's holdings within the Lodestone Mining Company, yes?" Jarvan said, looking up.
Poppy nodded. "Yes. See, you already are more valuable and more knowledgeable than you thought. Your very presence will show the Kalamandan people how interested Demacian is in the region's wellbeing."
Jarvan grunted, but didn't reply.
"I would offer to teach you more, but I fear all this talk of politics is far too serious." Poppy said, shaking her head as she slid off her chair, landing on her feet. "This room feels as if someone died in here." She clapped her hands together as she turned to Shyvana. "You came to inquire about armor, not politics, young lady, yes?" She posted her hands on her hips and looked to Shyvana. "I have several sets of armor for the likes of you."
"Several?" Shyvana said, blinking with surprise.
"Three in fact." Poppy said, nodding her head.
"I paid for two." Jarvan said, raising an eyebrow and smiling.
"Yes, well, the first one was a proof of concept, and the other two came afterwards." Poppy said, shrugging. "I'll throw the first in because it's actually the only full set so far. The other two are going to take more time to finish polishing and developing some of the finer pieces. One is close enough to try out, but the other is still in pieces. If you'll follow me, young lady, and perhaps a friend to help with the fitting, we can get started." Poppy glanced over and looked at Jarvan. "Your highness, if you and the others would like to wait out back, we're going to have to test the thermal expansion and such in the courtyard." She glanced around the room. "I do like this room as it is."
"Sounds good." Jarvan said, nodding his head. He looked to Shyvana and gave her a quick kiss as he started to the door. "We'll be waiting."
"I think I'll follow you." Lux said, getting to her feet, setting the empty cup and saucer on the table. Delancey got to her feet as well and followed the prince, her hand resting on her weapon as she glanced back at Shyvana.
"I assume you're staying on protection detail, Del?" Alicia said looking at her. The sergeant nodded.
"I've been informed that I need to keep a tighter leash on Jarvan." Delancey said, nodding. "I'll also refrain from taking all of Shyvana's fun from her, but you know what I mean." Delancey winked in the dragoness's direction and Shyvana blushed, but she stuck her tongue out at the sergeant as Jarvan, Lux and Delancey headed out of the room and down the stairs. As soon as they were on the ground floor, Jarvan sighed heavily and ran a hand over his face, grimacing.
"Is everything alright, sir?" Delancey said as she rounded the bottom of the steps and headed out the doors into the courtyard. "You seem uncomfortable. Everything okay between you and Shyvana?"
"Yeah, we're fine." Jarvan grumbled. "I just don't like this. All this sneaking around, dealing with politicians and their crap..." Jarvan shook his head and grunted as he leaned against a heavy post of the awning that shielded Poppy's workspace from the elements in the massive courtyard.
"It's not sneaking, Jarvan." Luxanna said, shaking her head. "It's an art of warfare unlike anything you've ever had to deal with. Every word is an arrow fired, every sentence can cost a soldier his life, a platoon their freedom, a nation their sovereign independence. It is a war held on the razors edge and Jarvan, you should probably start taking notes." Luxanna said, a moment of weary exhaustion dropping upon her face. She ran a hand over her face, and as she looked up to Jarvan, he could see the pain gripping her soul, grasping at her heart. Her eyes were an empty, dead blue. "That 'sneaking' around is the easy part. Because if in the art of infiltration, subterfuge and espionage... well, when you get caught, you die... eventually. You don't get to argue or fight your way out... you simply die." Luxanna's hands had convulsed into fists. She looked up to Jarvan as tears began to drip down her cheeks. "Consider yourself so lucky that you only have to deal with this... soft warfare."
"What happened to you Lux...?" Jarvan said softly, taking her cheek in hand and wiping a tear away with his thumb. "You used to be such a happy-go-lucky kid... you never let even the smallest thing get you down." An ironic grin slid onto Jarvan's face. "Well, except when Garen and I would leave you behind on our adventures."
Lux snorted as a smile slid onto her face. "You always were a pompous jerk, not to mention hard to deal with."
"Please tell me that statement is followed up by 'I know this better than anyone' because I always love a juicy threeway romance." Delancey said grinning excitedly. Jarvan took a step back as Lux laughed aloud.
"You always knew how to make me laugh, Del." Luxanna said, smiling. She looked up to Jarvan. "Some time when I feel up to it, I'll tell you what I've been through. You're not the only one who's had a long two years."
"Promise?" Jarvan said, coughing into his hand.
Luxanna nodded, smiling sweetly. "Some time. For now though, I do believe we have a show to see."
Shyvana stepped out of Poppy's shop, wearing a set of bright red and gold armor. The helm had two massive horns that curved out and upwards behind her head, two smaller horns that crested the top of her head. The chest plate wrapped over her shoulders and under her arms, forming a V-like point that came down along her sternum. Large shoulder guards protected the top of her shoulders and the vambraces were larger than before and equally vicious looking. One was tipped with sharpened spikes for striking and ripping, though the shield on it was still large enough to cover a decent part of her body. The smaller manifer wasn't formed so much to look like that of a dragon's head, but it was large enough to cover her body if she needed. There was hip armor and tassets that ran down Shyvana's thighs and armored boots that came up to her knees. Heavy material like canvas served to hold some of the armor plates in place, mostly along her chest and her hips. Her hair had been braided and fed into a multi-jointed armored tail of sorts that fell along her back. Poppy had said it was important for when she transformed.
"It's a little auspicious, don't you think?" Shyvana said, looking down at herself.
"The bright red looks good on you." Delancey said, clapping and grinning.
"You think?" Shyvana looked down at herself and the red and gold armor covering her blue uniform.
"Its got its charm." Jarvan said, grinning, looking at Shyvana. "Though I don't know, is the uniform underneath really necessary?"
"It'd be a bit revealing if I did that though..." Shyvana said, blushing.
"Exactly." Jarvan chuckled as the dragoness blushed more fiercely.
"This will be the most responsive of the armors." Poppy said, nodding to herself as she tucked a small booklet into her jacket, moving past Jarvan and his jests. "It should be attuned to your temperature the best of all of them, considering its pure material."
"I've never heard of a material that can transform from shape to shape with simple heat input." Luxanna said, tapping a finger on her chin. "What is it?"
"Dragon scale, mostly." Poppy said, grinning.
Shyvana looked horrified for a second, but she looked down at the armor and then back over to the small, white haired armorer. "Whose scales are these?"
"The dragon you and the prince killed on the outskirts of Noxus." Poppy said, smiling. "A fitting trophy, don't you think?"
"Gruesome." Delancey said with a grin. "I like it. The skin of your enemy is now the armor that will protect you? It has a bit of vicious irony too it, doesn't it."
"It does, yes..." Shyvana said, looking down at the armor. She shivered at the thought of wearing Kampf's skin, she could almost feel the bloody intent pouring off it. She looked down at the chest plate, it was almost as if blackened steam was pouring off it. "I don't know about this one..."
"You haven't even tried to transform yet." Poppy said, slightly downtrodden. "If nothing else I need something to tune to the other armors off of, so you might as well give it a shot. You're going to need to get pretty hot for it to work, though, so you might want to step into the center of the courtyard.
"Go on, Shyvana." Luxanna said, smiling prettily. "I think the red goes well with your hair."
Shyvana blushed slightly, but nodded her head once, stepping out from under the awning. She crunched through the snow and out into the center of the courtyard. She looked to Jarvan, a faint frown on his face, his eyes drifting towards the blonde haired mage.
They were friends as children, yes? Shyvana blushed as she felt the heat begin to rise under her collar as she watched Jarvan's eyes flicker to her for a brief moment and then his face went slack for a brief moment before he offered her a smile. Is there something rekindled between them? Shyvana shook her head, took a deep breath and then closed her eyes. She felt the power begin to flow through her veins as the fire begin to sparkle and steam around her body. The uniform she wore fluttered and flapped as the column of heat and flames began to rise above her like a shear column of warm air, sending snow billowing upwards. Steam poured from the ground around her as fire began to boil along the ground. It came seeping up from between the paving slabs as the fire began to boil in her veins as well. Shyvana hunched over and grasped at her helmeted head as the horns burst from her skull, sliding up and back into her helmet. She snarled in pain as she dropped to her knees. She opened her eyes, as the flames that poured from her blue skin burned away the uniform. The heavy material was left holding the armor in place as the last of the cloth fluttered away, rising in the column of steam and smoke pouring off of her body.
"Okay... that's just terrifyingly hot." Alicia muttered from the sidelines.
Shyvana looked down at her arms, the bluish skin rippling with her muscles and the faint outline of scales as flames seeped from beneath the light armored plates. She could feel power and heat pouring from her body, the steam caressing her skin.
She stepped forward, watching as Poppy, Luxanna, Alicia and Delancey all took cautious steps backwards. Shyvana felt both anger and regret start to swirl in her chest, but Jarvan stood, watching her, his arms crossed over his chest with a thin grin. He nodded again and Shyvana felt her cheeks blush slightly as she nodded. She turned up the heat as she closed her eyes and exhaled several times. She snarled as she poured off heat, waiting till she felt the armor around her begin to expand to let her transformation take over. She felt her bones snap and splinter, reknitting as her muscles expanded and moved the bones into place. The armor seemed to dissolve in places, dragging across her body like molten steel. It slithered along her body as she expanded, claws bursting from her hands as her arms twisted about and folded backwards. Her nose expanded to a snout and her teeth grew to massive fangs. Shyvana took several steps forwards, shaking the disorientation of wearing the armor off. She almost felt trapped by the snug fit, but as she shook her head, the armor did not move. She stamped her arms and feet in turn, and spreading her wings out. She brushed snow from the windows of the houses that lined the courtyard, and she shook her head again. She lowered herself down towards the ground, looking at the others.
"It fits well." She rumbled softly, craning her neck back to look over herself. The armor ran from her head, over her snout and back down along her body to the tip of her tail. She whipped it about several times, surprised by the weight of the armor. "It's kind of heavy though."
"The material is very dense, but extremely strong." Poppy stated matter-of-factly as she stepped up, book and pencil in hand as she started moving around Shyvana, looking at all the various little connections and details. Shyvana grunted in surprise, bathing Jarvan in a cloud of steam as he stepped forward, waving a hand in front of his face as he looked her over. "If it is too heavy I could try and thin it out..." Poppy tapped the pencil against her chin momentarily and then shrugged. "Not by too much though. Does it hurt or chafe anywhere?"
Shyvana wagged her head back and forth. "It's beautifully made and your craftsmanship is exquisite, ambassador."
"Thank you!" Poppy said, beaming. "All of the measurements look to have fit properly and I can't see any other problem areas we'll need to deal with either. I suppose the color is a bit ostentatious, but it is natural to the scales when tempered and formed."
"Now how do I get back to normal?" Shyvana said, looking back over her shoulder and grimacing at some of the heavy armor plates that ran down her back. It's not going to come crashing down to the ground around me when I shrink, is it?"
"It shouldn't." Poppy said, tucking her book away and posting her tiny fist upon her hips. "It might feel like it's falling off, but I had a court mage help with a constriction charm that doesn't let it shrink until you do. That said, if you do get too cold, like in this weather, it might not shrink properly if you're not careful."
"I see." Shyvana rumbled. "Well let's try this real quick." She exhaled slowly, and she felt the armor seem towards her skin like it was slithering along her body. She felt her body begin to shrink, the bones breaking and reforming, her muscles shrinking and the scales retracting back into her body. She was left kneeling on the ground, the armor shimmering a brilliant orange around her blue skin. She felt her body begin to cool as she exhaled several more times, letting her body calm and cool. She shivered as the liquid metal reformed around her, solidifying into the armor she had been wearing before. She stood up straight, her knees wobbling slightly beneath her as she exhaled a cloud of steam in the cool evening air as snow began to drift down around her.
"Well, as a proof of concept it definitely works." Shyvana said, looking down at herself and blushing. The red metal was tight around her waist and chest, brushing against her in odd places that caused her to blush.
"What, you don't think a bright red armored bikini is a good idea to wear in the royal court?" Delancey said, sniggering. Shyvana shot her a rueful look as Shyvana stepped up to Jarvan, letting him sweep his cloak around her shoulders as she stood shivering in the snow.
"I think it's attractive." Jarvan said with a thin grin, looking Shyvana up and down as she blushed, pulling the cloak around her. "Ouch!" Jarvan jumped as Shyvana jabbed him in the side.
"You just like looking at me." Shyvana grumbled quietly.
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't." Jarvan whispered, chuckling softly.
"Hey you two, keep out of each other's pants." Alicia shouted, posting her hands on her hips. "We've got another set to try out."
"Yeah, yeah." Jarvan said, blushing lightly as he started towards the awning.
"Alicia!" Shyvana hissed angrily, but the color in the dragoness's cheeks betrayed the truth behind her nerves.
"I'm the body guard, not the chaperone." Delancey said, raising her hands. "As long as they get back to Jarvan's room, they can do whatever they want!" The sergeant wore a cat like grin as steam simmered from the top of Shyvana's head.
"You guys are jerks!" Shyvana said, pouting slightly. Delancey and Alicia laughed aloud, and though she didn't join in, Shyvana shared Lux's smile.
"Come along now before you catch a cold, young'n." Poppy said handing a cloak over to Shyvana and gesturing she follow along. Jarvan released her from his cloak and helped her wrap the other cloak around her shoulders as she headed for the door, almost excitedly. Alicia and Poppy followed in her wake, disappearing into the house, leaving Delancey, Jarvan and Lux along again.
"You two are quite the couple aren't you?" Lux said, leaning against the forge, letting what little heat poured from the dying coals keep her warm.
"I think they are." Delancey said gleefully. "I have fun teasing them about everything. Hasn't been a dull moment since they got back."
"Especially since you and Forsythe hooked up, right?" Jarvan said, raising an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest.
"You?" Lux said incredulously, blinking several times as she cracked a smile. "Del and a man? Together? As in a couple?" Lux chuckled softly behind her hand as Delancey's face turned beat red. Lux looked to Jarvan and he simply shrugged.
"I asked you not to tell anyone!" Delancey protested, a sour look on her face as she glared at Jarvan.
"Maybe you should try not to make a habit of making fun of Shyvana and I then." Jarvan said shrugging innocently. Delancey muttered something under her breathe, but she crossed her arms over her chest, turned her head and remained quiet.
Luxanna laughed and smiled, and Jarvan grinned back at her as he sighed in an exaggerated manner. "Kids. Think they know everything."
"Funny, coming from you." Luxanna said, grinning. Jarvan waved her off and rolled his eyes. "Still, it's good to see you finally found someone for yourself. You never really seemed interested in that sort of thing when you at the academy. Hell, you never looked at me even in the slightest. Almost made me self-conscious."
"Wait... you mean..." Jarvan said, blinking several times before he shook his head. "I remember you saying how thick I was." He swatted at Delancey as she opened her mouth. She squeak and tumbled over, glaring daggers at Jarvan. "Hush, you. As I was saying, I know I wasn't exactly observant, but you? Really?"
Luxanna laughed. "Once upon a time, maybe, but that was long ago. That's not a tale worth retelling." Lux said, punching Jarvan's shoulder and grinning. "Your head is plenty big, and besides, it seems our company has returned!" She clapped excitedly as Shyvana stepped out in dark armor.
The armor was cut similar to standard Demacian lines, but there were numerous places it had been slimmed down to better follow Shyvana's limber musculature. She was slightly taller than average for a woman of her age, but not by much, and Poppy had obviously noted, or had heard the stories of how Shyvana fought, with an emphasis on her upper arms and fast, vicious strikes, rather than the slow and lumbering, but powerful, assaults common among most Demacian soldiers.
Shyvana looked up to Jarvan and grinned, tugging on the armored collar slightly. Heavy scale mail lined her arms, legs and all of the joints of her body, with large armored plates covering most of her body. Darkened metal vambraces, pauldrons, tassets, faulds, a tight fitting cuirass that wrapped around her stomach, back and chest, as well as full grieves covered her body completely. A short blue skirt rode down behind her, covering her rear. Leather-looking straps held everything in position, and there was a surprising amount of cleavage showing along her front. Shyvana blushed slightly when she caught Jarvan's eye. Poppy obviously noticed, because she grinned and poked Shyvana in the leg.
"She's obviously been eating well." Poppy said, shaking her head. "She's put on a little weight, and she's not so painfully thin now." Shyvana blushed furiously turning away from the prince as she held her hands over her chest. The armored gauntlets sere small than the first set, and looked decisively more like a dragon's head.
"I can't actually take responsibility for that one." Jarvan said with a smirk. He looked over to Alicia who grinned and shrugged.
"She eats more than anyone I've ever met." Alicia said, laughing. "Feed her once and she ready to eat again in a matter of hours."
"Of course I'm always hungry!" Shyvana snarled defensively, blushing as she crossed her arms over her chest. "All we do is train, train, train. It makes me hungry."
"Maybe you'd like to go eat after this?" Jarvan suggested. Shyvana beamed happily as she turned and nodded excitedly, blushing a deep red as Alicia, Poppy, Delancey and Lux laughed at her enthusiasm.
"Hold on, you're not quite done." Poppy said, slightly crossly. "We need to check to see if this armor will transform properly. This armor is a mix of high carbon steel and dragon scale, so it's going to be a bit finicky to get right. It might be overly sensitive to temperatures right now."
"What sort of fluctuations are we talking about here?" Shyvana said, looking down at the armor. "It fits perfectly, and I don't know if I can get much hotter than before..."
"Not that sort of fluctuations." Poppy said, shaking her head. "Say something makes you angry and you get a bit warm. You don't want the armor just falling off you, do you? It may fit well, but the transformation makes it difficult to get just right."
"Hmm..." Jarvan said, thoughtfully. He stepped forward and grabbed Shyvana's hands and pulled her back out into the middle of the courtyard, and took both of her hands in his.
"Jarvan?" Shyvana said questioningly, her voice small as she looked up at him.
Jarvan leaned in and kissed Shyvana fiercely, taking her by surprise. She blushed furiously as Jarvan kissed her, heat radiating from her body. The armor suddenly expanded, melding and reforming into its draconian shape, but it clattered to the ground around her in a heap of leather, metal and fabric. Shyvana looked down at her body as her face went beet red, her hands leaping to her chest and below as she collapsed, trying to shield herself.
"Jarvan!" Shyvana yelped, left without anything on. Jarvan boomed a surprised laugh as he stepped over the pile of armor and swept the shivering, angry looking dragoness up under his cloak. He pulled her close and wrapped his cloak over her, blushing, a cheeky grin on his face. Shyvana's fury slowly subsided as she wrapped her arms around Jarvan. She wore a rueful expression as she extended her arm and then struck Jarvan in the side.
"Ow!" The prince hissed, glaring at Shyvana, though he couldn't keep an angry expression on his face.
"I don't think I quite expected that..." Poppy murmured, the fur on her ears standing on end as she looked surprised. "But yeah, that exactly what I was worried about."
"I think you need to adjust the heat charm a bit." Jarvan said with a grin, looking down and meeting Shyvana's fiercely blushed scowl with a cheeky grin. He leaned down and pecked her on the forehead, unclasping his cloak so she could keep it wrapped around her shoulders.
"Me too." Poppy said, shaking her head as she picked up a piece of armor and looked at it as if shrunk back to its normal size. "I'll get to work on it right away."
Alicia leaned in towards Delancey. "I don't think I've ever seen a move that slick before." Delancey nodded, a bit of disbelief still on her face, though she wore an impressed grin as well.
"He got her out of her clothes in a single kiss." Delancey snorted. "I think that's got to be some kind of record."