Chapter 41: Tea

Billie stared dumbly at the card Juniper had just handed her. It was an invitation to tea that afternoon, the 26th day of the month of High Cold, from Merida Fitzpatrick. She wondered if the card had been lost in the mail as an invitation for an event on the day of was short notice for a busy person like herself. Or perhaps it was deliberately sent late, so the sender could claim she did invite Billie. If it was the former instance Billie would prefer to decline. She had better things to do than play politeness with spoilt aristocrats. But if it was the latter…

"Juniper, do I have anything happening between three and five today?"

The teen had quite the memory, which made up for her illiteracy in spades. She also kept track of her events using a system of a grid and dots. Juniper peered at today's grid before looking up at her with a large smile.

"No ma'am that is absolutely clear!"

Billie nodded slightly. "Good. Make sure to mark it off, I have been invited to tea."

The Outsider felt a little odd walking into the Boiling Mermaid in the early afternoon. It was around lunchtime, so it was perfectly normal to be at such an establishment at this hour. But seeing the pub in the sunlight was strange to him. Tucked in a bright corner near the bar sat Roger and Louie the bargeman, their heads put together over a notebook. As he approached the two their mutterings became audible. Something about "motives" and "romance".

"What are you reading?" he asked, coming to a stop by their table.

The two looked up and a large smile crossed Roger's face. "Owen, it's good to see you! Has Emily kept you 'busy'?" he wiggled his eyebrows at the last word.

The Outsider rolled his eyes at the question before turning to Louie. "How have you been, it has been a long time since we last saw each other."

"I've been well thank you!" the man replied cheerfully. "Have a seat. Roger told me who your gal was, which certainly explained why you weren't around often."

The Outsider let out a nervous chuckle as he sat. "I'm sorry about not being forthright with the four of you when first coming to you all for advice."

Louie waved him off, eyes twinkling. "It could only be expected, my friend! After all, it was not as if we were the closest of chums, not to mention how unbelievable it is that someone of our social class could be the Empress' lover."

"Love knows no boundaries," the Outsider said dryly.

Roger gasped. "I love it!" and then he began to scribble out the phrase on the notebook.

"What are you doing?" the Outsider really wanted his opening question to be answered.

"Writing a play with music, song, and dance!" Roger replied, his eyes gleaming. "It is a romance for the ages!"

"It is so he can win over actress Angeline Blomgren," Louie answered the unspoken question with great fondness. "Todd is helping him with the musical part, while I am one of the mere helpers where he bounces ideas off of."

"Writing a play to win over an actress," the Outsider raised his eyebrows. "That is novel. What is the play about?"

Roger practically leapt out of his chair in eagerness. "It is about darkness and light! Love and selfishness! Freedom and imprisonment! Betrayal and loyalty-"

Louie put a hand on the slight man's shoulder. "I think he meant what is the plot, Roger."

The youth settled down a bit, but he practically radiated proud energy. "Oh yes, the plot! Well, the plot is…" his face fell and he trailed off. His eyes were focused behind the Outsider, and he looked somewhat frightened.

"What's wrong?" Louie asked gently, his eyes following Roger's. "It is only the Oracular Order."

The Outsider turned around, curious. To his surprise he saw Greta, Bernice, Sister Mary, Sister Reilly, and Marzia, all chatting as they walked towards the back, opening a door to a private room. Scanning the place he could see Eileen and Hope ordering at the bar.

"What is the Oracular Order doing here?" he murmured.

"My thoughts exactly!" Roger's voice came out as a squeak. "You don't think they are looking to raid the place?"

The Outsider turned back in his seat with a sigh. "I doubt it. There is nothing illicit about the Boiled Mermaid and pretty much anyone on the guest list is welcome within its walls. It might be odd to find them here but it is not nefarious."

Just as the words came out of his mouth did he feel a presence just behind him. Before he could turn around a hand slammed down on the table to his right. Roger yelped and Louie jumped, startled.

"Owen! Buddy, pal, we were just thinking about you!" Hope leaned down to look him in the eye, a smirk decorating her face.

"Were you?" he asked dryly.

"Oh yes!" It was Eileen, standing off to his left. "We were wondering if you could join us for lunch."

The Outsider sighed and stared into the middle distance. "I take it that I should not say no."

"More like you cannot say no," Hope said lightly.

He rolled his eyes as he got to his feet. What on earth could they want? It did not look like Greta was in on it; otherwise, she would be here threatening him too. He shoved his hands into his pockets as Eileen and Hope escorted him to the back room, feeling the scraps of herbs and a few beat up coins that lived in there. Perhaps he should properly enchant the pockets for spell ingredients.

The back room consisted of a good-sized table laden with food, a fireplace, and a set of couches and armchairs. The Sisters were gathered around the table, serving themselves from the plates and pots of food. Greta was halfway through buttering her croissant when she caught his eyes. Her already pale face blanched.

"Oh no no no no, guys! You promised!" her eyes darted around the table.

"Greta, this is too important to keep to ourselves," Bernice replied evenly.

The Outsider took the empty seat at the head of the table, with Sister Reilly to his left and Sister Mary to his right. His stomach growled, tempted by the steak pie in front of him. But once again, it did not feel safe to eat in front of this crowd. Marzia, in particular, was glaring furiously at him over her portion of fried fish and potatoes. So he turned his attention to the unasked question.

"Is this about Juniper Daniels and the Eyeless?"

All eyes at the table turned to him, Greta deeply apologetic, Marzia blazing with fury, Sister Mary placid, and the rest confused.

"What are you-" Eileen's question was cut off by Marzia slamming her hands into the table, rattling the dishes.

"This is about your rash, thoughtless actions!" she accused, her high voice much like the roar of a mouse.

The Outsider combed his mind. What had he done recently that was rash and thoughtless? The only thing he could think of was permitting King Seamus' murder and licking the poison that killed him. But what did that have to do with the Sisters?

"Sit down Marzia," Sister Reilly's hard tone cut through his thoughts. "I told you not to be so harsh."

"But Sister," Marzia protested. "It is a matter of life and death!"

"Such is the way the business is," Sister Reilly's tone booked no argument. "Now pass over the rolls, our guest is hungry."

With a pout and a huff, the girl sat down and as violently and politely as she could passed the rolls over to Sister Reilly, who passed them over to him. Feeling off balance and hungry, he took one.

"Outsider," Sister Mary started with a kind look on her face. "While some of us are not displaying the correct emotion-" she gave Marzia a scolding look. "We are all coming from a place of concern."

He cautiously tore the roll in half. "But what are you so concerned about?"

The older Sister hesitated, looking over to Greta who was sinking into her chair. Bernice heaved a sigh and rolled her eyes.

"All of you are pussies. Look, we were seeing if Greta could be clairvoyant like the rest of us by using this type of mushroom. Well, Greta did not become clairvoyant; instead, she became super chatty and told us you knocked up Emily. That is what Marzia is pissed off about and the rest of us are concerned about."

Suddenly the Outsider did not feel so hungry anymore.

"To be honest," Bernice continued. "I don't think there is too much to be worried about, like Emily is a tough cookie and you know all the magic. You're functionally immortal, Emily has your Mark and hasn't suffered for it, your kid is gonna be as healthy as a whale."

"How are you not worried?" Hope said, baffled. "Just because the Outsider is immortal does not mean his offspring are going to be healthy. A healthy horse and a healthy donkey can make a mule, and those things can have issues."

Eileen coughed. "That is a fair point Hope but also plenty of mules turn out fine. Infertile, but fine. I'm more concerned about Emily's desire to keep this quiet. Greta said not even her doctors know, why is that?"

"Emily does not like doctors," he was aware his voice was faint, but he felt like he had fallen into a hole.

Several sisters nodded. "And have you been looking after her?" Sister Reilly asked kindly.

"How can he look after her?!" Marzia exploded. "His domain is over death, the end of life! What does he know of the health of women? I swear he is going to kill Emily!"

The roll in his hands was nothing but crumbs now. The hole felt deeper, darker. The walls were lined with all the spells he recalled. Spells to prevent miscarriage, spells to ensure the health of the mother, spells to ensure the health of the baby, spells to keep miscarriage from killing the mother, and spells to keep a baby from premature birth. The spells for childbirth… gods, there were far, far too many. He had forgotten how risky the whole matter of procreation was. He wanted to forget it. Yet, here were all these spells, all these recipes for amulets, for bonecharms; each one a clear reminder of how frightening pregnancy was, how deadly.

"Look Marzia, the Outsider is the only one Emily will trust at this moment to see to her health," Greta's voice slowly made its way through the haze, not quite dispelling it. "He is not incompetent with magic as you seem to believe. All he needs is guidance, and you and Sister Reilly can give him that."

Marzia made a noise of disgust. "Guidance. If he were but a mind perhaps it would mean something. But as was mentioned before, he is not human. He can eat poison, get shot in places that would kill a normal human. He reeks of the Void. His mind may not be poison but his body just reeks of it."

Part of the Outsider was offended. Offended that part of him would be so awful that it was poison. But the rest of him? The rest of him agreed with Marzia. The hole deepened.

"Alright, that is ridiculous," Hope declared. "If he was physically dangerous Emily would have figured it out a loooong time ago."

A sigh came from Sister Mary, long and sad. "I do not think that Hope or Marzia is wrong. Emily does bare the Mark of the Outsider and has shown herself to be sane and healthy. I do not think it is his physical presence that is an issue, but rather when it becomes involved in creation. It is not unusual to find curses where the baby becomes a vicious parasite and sucks the life out of their mother. There are at least three old diaries and five mentions of similar things happening to Marked or Void-saturated witches siring children."

"You're lying," the words came out of his mouth like a hiss. Sister Mary looked at him in shock.

"I assure you I am not," she was utterly taken aback, her voice concerned. "How do you not know this?"

"Because it is lies," he combed his mind desperately. "Propaganda made up by your Abbey."

Sister Mary reached down and pulled up a bag. She flipped open the top and pulled out book after book. Finally, she pushed the stack over to him.

"Have a look, I bookmarked the pages."

The Outsider took the first book and flipped it open. As soon as he saw the name his stomach dropped. He remembered Alexi Tanalski, Marked back in 1630. He remembered hearing strange, desperate prayers from him. But during that time there was a coup occurring among the Aghwrbiys of Northern Pandyssia. So he paid no heed. In the next book there was another familiar name- Horas McAllister, Marked in 1478. He remembered the man screaming at him for abandoning him when he piqued his interest again in 1483. Such a complaint was all too common, so he brushed it off. He felt his stomach sink even further. The last one was the diaries of a witch, written in 1700. She wrote out her desperate prayers to him, lamenting how she was ignored time and time again. She wrote in detail about how she suffered and grew sicker by the day. The Outsider closed the diary, unable to read anymore.

This could not happen to Emily, it was impossible. He could not let it happen. He had to talk to the Void, now.

"OUTSIDER!" The yell snapped him out of his thoughts. Everyone, even Marzia, was staring at him with concern. Sister Reilly reached out, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"It is going to be alright," her pale eyes were gentle, and a sympathetic smile crossed her face. "Just take a breath."

He inhaled shakily, his throat and chest tight. As he did that, he realized he had been crying. Gods, he was such a fool.

"Now that you are aware of the problems it can be fixed," Sister Reilly continued gently. "You are not the only man who knows nothing of how dangerous pregnancy is. The difference is that you want to help, you want to learn."

"What if I cannot fix it?" he whispered, his head in his hands.

"Don't be so defeatist!" Greta cried. "You are one of the most powerful beings in existence. Just combine your brainpower with ours and we can find a solution."

"You cannot oppose the Void," his voice was hoarse, tears kept falling.

"Bullshit," declared Bernice. "Stop being the Void's bitch and make the Void your bitch."

That pulled a laugh from the Outsider. Gods, he had to pull himself together. His life was finally beginning to look up; how pathetic would he be if he did not fight to keep it that way. He took another deep breath, this one far less shaky, and wiped the tears from his eyes. He would end the world before letting any harm come to Emily. He would rip the Void apart before letting any harm come to his child.

"You do not have to decide on a plan yet," Sister Mary soothed. "You have time. We will be here if you have questions or need help. And please, tell Emily that she should seek us out."

He nodded, not feeling able to speak. Hope leaned over and pushed the steak pie towards him.

"Take it, go see your whales, scream at the Void later," her tone booked no argument. "Take care of yourself so you don't fall apart trying to take care of Emily."

The Outsider nodded again, wordlessly taking the plate and getting to his feet.

"Update us if anything goes wrong, alright?" Marzia commanded.

A small smile made its way onto his face. "Alright."

Billie was not expecting to find Emily and Corvo on the Fitzpatrick's doorstep. And from their expressions, they were not expecting her either.

"Lurk, were you invited to tea?" Corvo asked.

"Indeed I was," Billie flashed the invitation. "I received it this morning."

Emily raised her eyebrows and hummed, shooting a look at Corvo. He returned the look before turning to Billie.

"Since you are here, would you mind taking over Royal Protector duties for the duration of the tea?" there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes, like she would be saving him from torture.

"Er, sure?"

"Excellent," a smile crossed his face. "I will see you both then at five."

Billie watched him practically run away from the door, disappearing down an ally. "He must really not like the Fitzpatricks."

Emily sighed. "More that he wishes to avoid the drama this tea is bound to have. Merida deliberately sent your invitation late, Lydia knows I am pregnant, Arabel DeLuc is pretending to be me having an affair with Wyman, and they have an accused witch as a guest."

"What," Billie was dumbstruck and a touch angry.

"I know," Emily raised her eyebrows and knocked on the door. "It is going to be… an experience."

Moments later a butler opened the door and swiftly ushered them to the parlor. It was tastefully furnished with a mix of flowers, ceramics, and taxidermied animals. Three women were sitting around the coffee table- the black-haired Arabel lounging on the couch beside Merida in elegant linens. A strange pale woman dressed in robes of brown and crème, her hair covered in a veil, sat stiffly on the edge of an overstuffed chair, delicately sipping from the teacup. Merida caught Emily's eye and stood up with a large smile on her face.

"Empress, so glad you could come!" Billie looked for practiced politeness in her tone but it sounded genuine. The woman finally noticed her and her smile stiffened. "And you, Spymaster Lurk, so glad you could make it!"

Billie plastered a smile on her face. "Of course, I would not miss it for anything." In the corner of her eye, she could see Emily stifle a laugh.

Merida's expression became even more strained, but politeness that must have been drilled into her from birth took over. "Please, have a seat!"

The two of them sat on the other, empty, couch and a maid came forward and served them two delicate cups of tea.

"Empress, Spymaster, may I introduce you to Jane Willoughby?" Merida nodded at the oddly robed woman. "She is quite the expert on animals. Jane, this is Empress Emily Kaldwin and her spymaster, Billie Lurk."

Nods and polite words were exchanged. Jane had large, hauntingly blue eyes and a long scar across her face. Her hands were also heavily scarred and abnormally bony. It was hard to tell her age just by looking at her. Billie made a mental note to have Juny and the Outsider research this 'Jane Willoughby'.

Emily looked around the room, cup in hand. "Say, where is Lydia?" she asked lightly while placing a dash of cream into her cup.

Arabel rolled her eyes, the same strange shade of icy blue that High Overseer Chopin boasted. "That girl! She is out shopping with all her silly little friends, 'preparing for the baby'. I swear she is going to come back with nothing useful."

"There is no need to be so disparaging Miss DeLuc," the strange woman's low, soft voice chided her. "Lydia is a young girl with little experience of the world. What she needs is guidance, not judgment."

"She has a kind heart," Emily added. "Perhaps she is foolish but her intentions are good. She would never knowingly hurt anybody." Her last sentence was emphasized with a sly but pointed look at Arabel.

"Oh? But did her relationship with Wyman not start while you two were still together?" Arabel asked innocently. Billie took a sip of her unsweetened tea, wondering how long it would take to go from passive-aggression to direct attacks.

Emily waved her off. "Then she took him off my hands. For what I can see, I have fully upgraded."

A small, but genuine smile crossed Merida's face. "I am glad you are happy with Owen, especially after my dear sibling did you wrong."

"Yes, but how can a street rat be a full upgrade?" Arabel posed the cutting question like it was some philosophical query.

Billie looked over at Emily. Her grasp on the teacup tightened, but her face remained calm.

"Well," a sly smile took over her face. "For one thing, the sex is far better, mostly because he takes the time to listen to me."

Billie nearly inhaled her cup of tea. By the Void, it was awkward to hear that. At least the black-eyed bastard was doing good by his lady.

Arabel rolled her eyes. "Sure, you have a better lover. But that is all he could be."

"Whatever do you mean?" Emily set down her teacup, all wide-eyed innocence.

"Some nonsense about him having too poor of breeding to make a suitable consort and father of your children," Jane interjected lightly, punctuating that remark with a sip of tea. "I have not observed you two together, so I cannot make a comment on your compatibility as a couple. But from what I have read about the two of you," she took another sip of tea. "One would be a fool to not encourage you both to procreate."

Something about the way Jane said it sent a chill up her spine. Merida looked rather uncomfortable too. She exchanged a glance with the blushing Emily, who tried to swallow her embarrassment with her tea. Arabel made a noise of annoyed skepticism.

"You would encourage such a base union?" the woman shifted in her seat to gesture with her hand.

"Procreation in of itself is base," Jane retorted evenly, setting down her empty cup. "Your objections were to the breeding of Owen Pharmakós. While I do not know his pedigree, I know of his abilities, his qualities. And they are all qualities that would complement those expressed by our dear Empress here."

An uneasy laugh came from Merida. "You speak almost as if you were breeding animals!"

Jane slowly turned her head to face Merida, icy eyes wide. "What are humans but yet another species of animal?"

Emily hummed and leaned back into her chair. "That is a good point. What does separate us from the beasts?"

Emily's calm interjection broke the strange tension rising in the room. Billie let go a small sigh of relief, and her admiration for the Empress grew. How many people would be able to diffuse a situation like this?

"Very little, in my opinion," Jane smiled as she helped herself from the kettle. "Perhaps the human mind is what sets us apart. What do you think Spymaster?"

Billie was jolted by the sudden inclusion into the conversation. "What do I think? Well, I have not observed enough animals to accurately judge how similar we are to them. What I do know is I have seen an incredible capacity for cruelty and kindness in humanity."

Arabel looked ready to comment when the parlor door was flung open and Lydia practically tumbled in, holding a newspaper. Merida stared at her sister-in-law with wide-eyed concern.

"Lydia dear is something the matter?"

Short of breath, she failed to reply verbally, instead flipping over the newspaper. It was the Dunwall Courier, as reputable as a newspaper could ever dream of being. And its headline screamed: SUCCESSION CRISIS IN MORLEY?

Merida's eyes bugged out. "Is Dáire dead?!"

Arabel put a soothing hand on her leg. "Be at ease. If Dáire is dead then Fintan would be King, and if he is gone too then there is still Kevin."

"But what if they are all dead?" Merida's voice rose into a panicked pitch. "I told you, those assassins have something against our family!"

Emily slid over to be closer to Billie and patted the now empty space off to her left. "Come sit Lydia, I am sure there is a reasonable explanation to the headline."

A large smile crossed the blonde's face and she happily took the offered seat. "Oh it is nothing so bad; I simply had to return here posthaste after reading the article with dear Lilly at Federico's."

Arabel's face clearly revealed that she was surprised that Lydia could read. Merida looked at her sister-in-law with indigence.

"If it is not so bad then why did you make us worry so?"

"You were the only one in a panic, my dear," Jane calmly retorted. "Tea, Mrs. Fitzpatrick?"

"Oh no thank you!" Lydia turned down the offer with a charming wave. "I should not be taking in so many liquids!"

While Lydia was distracted Emily took the newspaper off her lap and began reading it, holding the article so Billie could read it too.

"So what your lover said was true," Billie murmured, her eyes scanning the text.

"Not quite," Emily said with a frown. "It looks like who is eligible for choice is not determined by the male line alone."

"Empress, what does it say?" Merida was at the edge of her seat, holding the languid Arabel's hand tightly.

Emily handed the paper over. "The writer will put it to words better than I."

The red-head snatched the paper, her dark grey eyes flickering back and forth across the paper.

"You and Wyman are eligible to be rulers of Morley," Lydia declared happily, looking enormously pleased. "That was why I ran back here, to share the good news."

Arabel shot up, her jaw dropping in shock. She tore her eyes away from Lydia after a long moment to peer closely at the newspaper. Jane also put down her cup, her mouth parted slightly in surprise.

"I do not understand," she tilted her head like a puzzled hound. "The king is succeeded by his son. The Fitzpatricks are his sister's children. Why are they eligible?"

"I do not know," Billie replied quietly. "I was certainly told that only family members of the paternal line were eligible choices."

Arabel's sharp eyes landed on her. "You were told? By whom?"

Billie returned the gaze, keeping her face still like stone. "Does it matter?"

There was a beat of silence. A cold, cold flame of anger flickered in Arabel's eyes before adverting them, defeated.

"She is my spymaster," Emily proclaimed evenly. "If Billie did not know of this she would be a poor spymaster indeed."

Billie had to hide a wry smile behind her teacup. Without the Outsider she would have been just as surprised as the rest of the room; none of her informants knew about this change of succession. Perhaps she should find a way to change that.

Merida was rubbing her temples. "I… I do not want to rule Morley. Emily, can I bow out?"

Emily blinked. "I am afraid you will have to direct your question and request elsewhere. I am not in charge of the final decisions, but I believe I can favor certain candidates."

"Excellent!" the young woman perked up, clapping her hands. "If I am forced to put forth my candidacy, tell everyone I am terrible and unfit for rule."

"Only if she promises to do the same for Wyman," Jane added, a sharp look in her wide eyes.

Lydia, Merida, and Arabel made noises of outrage. Lydia leaned across Emily to shout angrily at Jane, the brunt ending up in Billie's poor ears.

"How dare you, my Wyman would make a fantastic king! What would make you say such a horrible thing?!"

Jane hummed as she savored her sip of tea. "He does not pay mind to his estates. You know Ballyrood? Three pregnant tenants have been hunted by a beast, another five have been injured, and the agent has yet to procure the thing that can kill it because Wyman has not given him permission yet. I have seen Void-touched folk care for the animals and children better than your husband has cared for Ballyrood."

"The Áneukhrmato is at Ballyrood?" worry filled Emily's tone. "If nothing is being done I can send Owen there. He would be glad to set things to rights."

Jane snapped her fingers and pointed at Emily. "That. That is what a leader would say. A leader cares about the people they serve, not just themselves. At least, that is what they are supposed to do. Alas, many fall short."

"Wyman cares about others!" Lydia cried. "He cares about me!"

There was a beat of silence, and then Jane and Arabel began to laugh at exactly the same time. It was a little eerie, seeing the two cackle as if some great joke had been made. And perhaps one had, but it was on poor, poor Lydia. Billie felt her heart twinge as the sweet bubbly young woman just wilted, looking like she had been slapped. Merida was dumbstruck, her mouth gaping open.

"Both of you stop it!" Emily snapped, putting her arm around Lydia as her dark blue eyes welled up with tears. "You are being needlessly cruel!"

"We are?!" Arabel laughed. "Oh blame fate for this situation, blame chance!"

"We can blame the bloody Outsider if we wanted too," Billie said, leaning on her knees. "That does not change the fact you are choosing cruelty above kindness. You think Lydia has been dealt a bad hand, why are you making it worse?"

Lydia was now sobbing, Emily trying her best to soothe her with meaningless words. Jane was sipping her tea again, but now wearing a most unpleasant smirk. Arabel settled into an equally unpleasant smug smile.

"What the void is wrong with you two?!" Merida roared, getting onto her feet. "I will not stand by as you insult my sister, yes, my sister!"

The expression immediately melted off Arabel's face. "Merida…"

Her temper apparently as fiery as her hair, she rounded on Arabel and jabbed a finger into her chest. "You have been so catty to Lydia, for what? Lydia has been nothing but kind to you, and you spit poison in her face. If you do not meaningfully apologize to Lydia by dinner tonight, I want you out of this house. Got it?"

Arabel's mouth moved up and down, no words coming out. Finally, a stuttered "Got it."

"Now leave," Merida coldly declared.

Pale and shamefaced, Arabel gathered herself and scurried out of the parlor. Now, Merida drew herself to her full height and slowly turned to face a now solemn Jane.

"You are no longer welcome here. I suggest you leave before I make you leave."

The woman put down her teacup and stood, placid as a windless sea. "Thank you for inviting me. I was honestly a pleasure to be here, and I am sorry for causing your good sister pain. It was a pain she would feel soon enough, but I fear I worsened the blow. Thank you again, and I wish you all good health."

She nodded at Billie and curtsied for Emily before regally walking out of the door, head held high.

Merida immediately darted around the coffee table and kneeled before Lydia, offering out her hands. Lydia took them, forcing a wobbly smile to her face.

"Thank you," she whispered, fat tears falling from her face. "I am sorry for ruining the tea."

"Bah, it was already very strained," Merida proclaimed lightly. "What is important is that you do not feel I would not defend you to those who attack you."

She turned her head to look Billie. "Thank you truly for standing up for Lydia."

Billie shrugged. "Arabel and Jane were being needlessly cruel. Why not challenge them?"

A small smile crossed Merida's face. "Even so, I did not expect that of you."

"Billie is a good person at heart with a spine of steel," Emily interjected quietly. "You can trust her to defend the defenseless."

The praise brought a blush to Billie's face. Emily was really too kind to her. The depths of her forgiveness for her past misdeeds surprised Billie. She would be forever in debt for Emily's kindness, a debt she would gladly work the rest of her life to repay.

"Thank you for being so nice, both of you," Lydia wiped her eyes, her voice still watery. "You do not have to stay here on my account."

Emily glanced over at Billie. She clearly was not comfortable with staying, but did not want to hurt Lydia. Billie sighed quietly through her nose; time to dust off her limited acting skills.

"As much as we would love to stay if it would help you, I am afraid we will have to depart. We must discuss some matters of security with Corvo."

Lydia nodded and then gave Emily a hug. Emily returned it, and broke the embrace before too long.

"It will be alright Lydia," she murmured.

Billie got to her feet as Lydia nodded, and Emily soon joined her.

"Thank you for inviting us Merida," she said politely. "The tea was lovely."

"You both are welcome back at any time," Merida replied earnestly. "Lydia and I would certainly delight in having tea with you both again."

Lydia nodded in agreement. "May your journeys be safe!"

"And yours too," Billie returned.

They left as the clock chimed four. Had it really been that long? Billie shook her head as they left the house, walking into the breeze. She had no desire to attend a tea so drama-laden any time soon.