Chapter 22

Palace of Daggerfall, Guest wing

"So the Wyrd covens have been making a move?"

Mei sat near her chamber's empty fireplace, sipping a cup of tea as she attentively listened to Cyrus' debriefing. The young man was seated face to her, a table with a tea-pot between them.

The councilwoman gazed at the reflection produced by her drink. "The opposite would have actually been surprising given their home is directly concerned." She addressed a small nod to her subordinate. "Good thinking on divulging some information about the other world, none of it was classified but still nonetheless valuable." She took another snip. "The Wyrd's trust is something we can hardly spit on, cooperation with the covens has always been fruitful."

"Thank you ma'am," the young man answered as he held his cup close to his mouth. A puff of smoke elevated from it as Cyrus used a very faint frost spell to cool his tea. "What about my choice of partner for tonight's event? Did I make the right call?"

The Tharn matriarch' lips curled into a smile. "I'm afraid with how quick King Arnaud was, we didn't have much time to find and assign you a proper partner. You could have found much worse than Maëlisse, Kynareth be praised for that."

That I will, Cyrus mused as he remembered his encounter at the goddess' statue.

"Due to her background as a wyresse native from Evermore, she can't be involved in any local… erm, 'courtly intrigue' as they say here. Not to mention she'll act as the ears and the eyes of the Wyrd within the royal court." Her smile fell and her eyes glinted as she stared into his'. "Because of us," She insisted.

They both knew that the Wyrd was well aware of that fact.

"As for tonight, mingle, feast, dance with your partner…" Her face softened and she had a light chuckle. "Those are festivities after all."

Cyrus put his now empty cup back on the table. "And what of Lady Rory?"

"The Apostle? She'll be with the other royal guests. You won't have to watch her. Do interact with the girl as best as you can, I doubt she'll mind seeing a familiar face in this sea of unknown."

"Of course." If they didn't have him watching her, then it meant they had resorted to a more 'subtle' approach. "Should I be concerned with other possible local factions inviting themselves?"

"Tssk, more than mundane factions, you mean?" His superior shook her head. "No, unless fighting erupts among the guests. Which I don't need to tell you shouldn't happen. Otherwise, do not concern yourself with the local political machinations. It will be taken care of."

"Understood ma'am."

Mei put her cup next to Cyrus', having finished her tea. "One last thing, Battlemage, please bring Maëlisse to me before going to the feast. I'll need to quickly brief her too."

The Necromancer's brows slightly twitched. The Battlemage officer must have seen it because she immediately took a reassuring tone. "If you're worried about tonight, just remember the spotlight will hardly be on you two. You are merely a decorated Battlemage attending with a guest of your choosing. Meanwhile, I already know foreign royals will be here. Not to mention the Princesses…"

It was true that neither him or Maëlisse should hardly be taken notice by the local political powers. Still, Bretons were known for their politics for a reason. He cleared his thoughts. He had his orders.

"Anything else?"

"No ma'am."

"Dismissed then, go take a rest before it begins," the Easterner woman counseled him. "The night will be long."

The Heartlander immediately rose from his seat, saluting his superior. "Yes ma'am!" He then made his way towards the exit.

After the door was closed behind her subordinate, Mei conjured several sheets of paper upon her table. "And, Divines' mercy, I fear it will be far longer for myself."

Princess' Berenice royal chambers

To say the Daggerfall's Heiress chambers were luxurious would have been an understatement. It was more like a full apartment in itself with several rooms at the Princess' disposition. A great bathroom whose floor and walls were covered with decorated faience containing a large circular bathtub, a salon-like room to receive Berenice's personal guests with comfortable sofa, chairs and velvet cushions and of course, her actual chamber.

Everything about it screamed, well, "Princess' Chamber", from the big chandelier suspended at the center of the room, the king sized bed with silken sheets and red curtain to the dresser table with a giant golden mirror on the other side of the room.

Berenice was sitting on the far right of her dresser table, gazing down at the series of letters she was carefully holding. Their envelopes were all covered with official seals from local aristocratic families to even foreign Kingdoms, all already opened. The blonde threw a glance at her left.

Theodora was admiring her reflection in the mirror. She kept turning her head around to look at her long dark brown hair. She frowned when she saw a single lock standing out by curling and grabbed a nearby hairbrush to correct it.

"Baroness Eléonore of Ykalon and her consort Baron Gauthier will be here at tonight's festivities," the Breton princess announced to her friend while she was still brushing her hair.

The Cyrod girl slowed her movement, the mirror reflecting the incredulity in her eyes before she sighed. "Baroness? She owns more lands than the majority of the counts in this realm." She regained her composure. "That said, I would have been surprised if she would have not come in person. It's her fiefdom which is directly impacted."

Berenice noted the choice of the word 'impacted' rather than 'threatened' as if Theodora was fully confident in the crisis being almost over. "I suppose you wouldn't know about it given it is lost to history but even when it was an independent state, Ykalon was a barony. The following lords and ladies just kept the title when it was absorbed into Daggerfall."

"So much for having a hierarchy for aristocratic titles," Theodora grumbled while shaking her head, "given the current circumstances, she's probably coming to remind everyone she's in the frontlines, metaphorically speaking. Otherwise, aside from garnering some token support and sympathy for her current situation and sizing up the Princess, I don't think she's expecting much."

"Agreed, the Imperial Legion has had the Rift quarantined since the beginning of the crisis. Ykalon is as safe as it can be given the situation, provided another Rift doesn't open elsewhere." Berenice slid some of the letters she had been reading towards her. "I'll spare you the rest but you might want to see those."

The dark haired girl took a few looks at their seals. Her eyebrows frowned when she recognized them before glancing back at the blonde. The Breton instructed her with a nod to read the letters. The Imperial Princess started by the one bearing a hammer striking an anvil, the sigil of Orsinium. Her eyes widened. "Crown Prince Kurog will be here in person."

"Yes, the heir to the City of Orsinium and all its outlying clans." The blonde held her chin and tapped her index against her cheek. "And I suppose there is more here than a token show of support to the Imperial throne?"

It really wasn't a question. Everyone knew Orsinium was a staunch supporter of the Empire but the Orcs weren't above playing the political game. No, Kurog was very much here for her to reaffirm his people's support, but also to gauge at their rivals next move.

Two of the three remaining letters bore the Crescent moon of Sentinel and a blue shield with three flowers, the coat of arms of Wayrest, the remaining powers in the Illiac Bay. A quick glance at the letters showed that they, too, were sending their primary heirs.

"You know, I am not really surprised by Wayrest sending Crown Prince Mathieu Barynia," Theodora mused after flipping back the letter.

"Aye, despite the sack of their capital by corsairs and the subsequent disappearance of their king, they want everyone to remember that they are still an important player." The ghost of a smile passed on the blonde's lips.

"And of course Orsinium and Sentinel anticipated that and responded by sending their own heirs." The Imperial princess hadn't even touched the letter from Sentinel, she had just guessed its content. A simple nod from her friend confirmed she had been right. So Prince Hassan al-Sentinel would be here. "The four heirs of the four Kingdoms that count the Illiac Bay, all under the same roof." She looked up to grin at her reflection. "Not bad for a small celebration, officially to 'rally in these dire times around my visit'."

The fair haired girl shared her amusement. "Tssk, even after the truth being Princess Piña's visit is unveiled, people will gossip. Three unmarried Crown Princes and one Imperial Princess under the same roof."

Her friend, who was reading the letter about Hassan's upcoming visit, let it fall as she heard the comment. She pushed back her chair, walking the distance that separated her from the Breton and slided her arms around Berenice's neck to hug her from behind. "Ma mie*, my heart will always belong only to you."

The blonde touched her arm. "You should write romance novels, your talent gave me shivers."

The two Princesses shared a laugh.

The matter of the truth was that the Emperor was still carefully waiting to wed his eldest daughter, preferably to forge an alliance with one of his non-Cyrodilic Vassals. A Breton Kingdom from the Illiac Bay would have been a good choice but Daggerfall was bound to be inherited by Berenice and Wayrest wasn't really advantageous at the moment. Orsinium was another matter. The ties between the Orcish Province and Cyrodiil were strong, even without blood ties (or maybe it was because of the common blood shed?). And while Kurog had been raised as a Prince according to the more cosmopolitan ways of Orsinium city… the caveat remained whether the more traditionalist and Malacath-worshiping clans would approve of such potential union, let alone children born from it, destined to inherit the throne. And neither Ivan or his daughter would accept her and her children playing second fiddle to other wives and their offspring. As for Sentinel…

Theodora glanced back at the final letter, bearing two wings surrounding the sigil of the Redguard Crowns party, a raised and crowned fist. The wings were symbolizing Tava, the Yokudan Goddess of the Air whose main temple was situated in the city of Hegathe from the Kingdom of the same name. The letter was from the Princess' maternal grandfather, the High King of Hammerfell, Kemal al-Hegathe. He was sending his thoughts to Daggerfall in these 'trying times' and although his duties forbade him from traveling, Princess Zafira al-Hegathe, one his granddaughters, was to represent him.

Ivan's daughter brows quipped in interest. Mmmh, I suppose grandfather must have known one way or another that Sentinel would send Hassan. He has been seeking ties to Sentinel and the hardline Forebear faction since at least the end of the Great War. The dark haired Princess knew there was likely a tacit agreement between Kemal and his son-in-law to not interfere with his Hammerfell ambitions. A Sentinel betrothal was thus out of reach.

That said, she doubted her cousin Zafira had been sent solely to persuade Prince Hassan of an alliance, if at all. Much like her, the young woman wasn't set to inherit a Throne but that was true for several of her sisters and female cousins as well. Maybe her goal was to simply take the measure of the Prince. Besides, of all her cousins from her mother's family, Zafira was Theodora's favorite. Having yet another support for tonight would only be welcome.

"What of Princess Piña?" Berenice abruptly brought back as the other girl separated from her. "Tonight's festivities are about her after all, how do you feature her in all of that?"

The dark-haired Princess leaned back against the wall to face her friend. "I've been reflecting on it since Father informed me of her crossing. He told me about what he had gleaned about her. Officially tenth in line, and the daughter of a concubine…"

The blonde bit her lips, shooting her a shocked look. "Child of a mistress? Ouch…"

The other simply nodded. "Not the ideal position, yes. But she crafted a knightly Order from the ground up as a child, if I understood her right. I wouldn't say she is lacking in agency."

Berenice's finger briefly tapped against her chin before her lips displayed a smug grin. "You know, it might be the cynical part of my mind, but even before meeting her I've been thinking that she's not doing this 'unofficial diplomatic mission' only out of a pure desire for peace."

Theodora smirked back before nodding in agreement. "It's very likely. After all, it does put her in an advantageous position by virtue of being our primary intermediary with her homeland. Tonight alone, she will be able to meet and mingle with the heirs of several royal families. They won't be able to outright dismiss her advice after she had spent a few days within Tamriel and besides, it works in our favor. Though I admit it is a dangerous gambit should they want to continue war."

"I would assume she has taken some precautions before heading straight here and even if the worst were to come…"

"Father would have already made plans for that, if it were to happen," the Imperial Princess assured her friend with a confident tone.

The blonde seemed to be satisfied by the affirmation. The Empire didn't come out from the Second War with the Dominion on top with a fool at its head. That thought alone comforted the girl.

Theodora suddenly sank to her knees with a small sigh.

"What's wrong?" Berenice asked her with concern.

"Nothing, it's just…" her body shook as she chuckled, "We have an invading Empire on our doorstep and yet here we are, plotting our way out of court politics as if everything was normal… It feels surreal."

The Breton princess pulled back her chair, headed straight for her friend and offered her her hand. She then pulled her back up with a smile. "Oh chérie**, Daedra could rain from the sky, and that wouldn't stop conspirators from scheming to overthrow their liege."

"That's the most Bretic thing you ever said today."

A wealthy-looking carriage stopped near the Gardens of Kynareth, the square being now deserted as it was fashionably late, even with the Sun still high in the sky. The carriage's doors opened from the inside to let its only passenger step out, revealing Cyrus draped in a finely tailored red cloak.

The young man headed inside the square. He took the time admiring some of its trees when he caught the sight of a bird perched on a branch cleaning its wings, some kind of crow or raven but he couldn't tell. The animal stopped its grooming when it noticed the man staring at it. After a few seconds of total silence, Cyrus nodded.

The bird took flight and landed on the ground before the Battlemage. A brief flash of light was emitted from the animal before it grew in size and morphed back into Maëlisse. The Wyresse had traded her commoner outfit for a dark cloak resting on her head that hid a green strapless gown underneath.

"Just on time, Messire," she greeted her friend with a pleasant smile.

"I see you've learned shapeshifting since we last saw each other."

She winked at him. "The perks of being a Witch. I'm sure you have your own bag of tricks, Battlemage."

"A fair point, I suppose."

He then made a gesture to follow him. Before leaving the square, Cyrus kneeled in front of Kynareth's statue and threw some coins into the fountain as an offering to the Goddess.

"Asking for her blessing?" Maëlisse wondered as she knelt in prayer beside him.

The young man shook his head. "I'm thanking her for reuniting me with an old friend."

His friend looked back at the statue. Her lips curled into a half-smile. "True, if I hadn't been heading for her, I wouldn't have met you today."

They each took opposite seats within the carriage to face each other.

"The Driver is one of us, you can talk plainly," the Battlemage told her.

The brunette nodded absently, instead giving more attention to how well furnished the carriage was.

"You know, when I woke up this morning, if someone had told me a friend I hadn't seen in years would invite me to a royal event taking place tonight, I would have laughed at them. But here I am."

Cyrus crossed his arms around his chest. "It's not either how I expected our first meeting in years to go." He threw a glance through the windows where he spotted the street lamps being lighted for the night. "In fact I would have never expected having to attend a celebration from the King of Daggerfall." His hands briefly tightened. "I wish I could tell you why right now but…"

She cut him off with a wave from her hand. "I have a feeling I'll know soon enough."

The young man relaxed. "I know this was very sudden but thank you for having accepted to accompany me anyway. "

"Was I your last choice that you were so desperate?" Maëlisse joked with a chuckle.

"First choice, actually. And I suppose a part of me wished to reconnect with an old friend."

The unexpected revelation broke out the Wyresse of her lighthearted mood. "I would be lying if I said I didn't actually feel the same. But I'm glad to be able to see you and Lady Mei in the flesh once more. Who knows? I'll be able to see the rest of our old group soon."

If that crisis is soon resolved, perhaps. But this seems to be far from the case, Cyrus mused.

"Before I forget, I slipped your name to my 'sisters'. Think of it as a way of getting some recognition among the Wyrds. You never know when it could be useful. However… I must warn you, it might sour the opinions of the political factions hostile to us."

Of course it would, it was High Rock. You couldn't stumble on a small rock without earning the praise of the blacksmith's first cousin's best friend while the King's bastard's roommate was now holding a grudge against you.

Cyrus sighed. "Your people have my respect for enduring all of this nonsense."

The brunette chuckled. "'Enduring'? That's one way to put it I guess." She found herself glancing at her friend's choice of attire underneath his cloak. She briefly caught sight of a sash going from his left shoulders to the right side of his waist, a reminder of the cyrodilic togas of old. "By the way, that aristocratic heartlander outfit looks good on you."

"Thanks," he acknowledged her compliment with a nod. "As you do with your evening gown. You do look the part of an aristocratic lady well enough."

As if to confirm it, the wyresse produced a fan from one of her sleeves and began fanning it to hide her face. "Flatterer."

"We have arrived, Messire, Madamoiselle."

The Nibenese got out of the carriage first to help Maëlisse.

"We need to meet with Lady Mei first," he began as he extended his hand to the brunette. "I must warn you, a lot of the things you will learn might unsettle you."

The young woman frowned as she grabbed onto his hand. "About the Rift, you mean?"

"No, not that."

It didn't ease her worries.

A few minutes later, the couple knocked on the door leading to Mei's chambers.

"Enter," her voice was heard saying.

"Ma'am," Cyrus saluted his superior before presenting his companion. "I brought Maëlisse as you requested."

"At ease, Battlemage, you can drop the protocol for now," the older woman assured him. Her attire of choice for tonight was an expensive black and golden heartland styled gown. Her face lit up with a warm smile as she turned to the Breton woman. She grabbed both of her hands. "My dear, it is good to see you. I hope you are well as you are looking radiant."

The brunette's lips curled into a wide smile. Jing's mother hadn't changed at all, did she? She exhaled the same feeling of warmness she used to and didn't seem to have aged a day. "The feeling is mutual, Lady Feng. I must say you haven't lost your beauty."

A brief frown passed over the Easterner's face but she kept her smile before gesturing her two guests to a table. "Please, have a seat. Would you like some tea?"

"The jasmine one?"

"Of course, I do remember it was your favorite."

A cup of tea later, Maëlisse was delighted. She had missed the taste of jasmine tea once she had come back home after her studies. Getting your hands on imported merchandise from Cyrodiil when you were living far from the nearest city was quite the struggle, let alone of good quality. Not to mention her sisters did not share her particular tastes and she had to resign herself over drinking more 'traditional' beverages, much to her dismay.

"I will not beat around the bushes," Mei stated calmly. "While I would have liked to meet you again under different circumstances to tell you about it, fate decided it that way."

The brunette raised her gaze to meet the older woman's, her brows twitching in surprise. She searched for an answer by turning to Cyrus but his expression remained stoic.

"Feng is indeed the name of my dear husband," the Easterner pursued, "but I did not take it when we wed as our marriage was matrilineal due to my family being far older and more powerful than his. Jing and her siblings share the same, of course, Tharn."

The last word fell like a lightning strike. To her credits, Maëlisse did seem to take it well as she merely put back her cup on the table. At least one minute before she spoke.

"It was Jing who asked for the secrecy, right?"

She caught sight of movements coming from Cyrus telling her that her instincts had been right.

The older woman merely confirmed her suspicions with a nod.

A part of the young woman wished that she had learned it from Jing herself. But then things were rarely as we wanted them to be. "I see, thank you for telling me directly. Know that I hold no ill will against you or Jing, I understand why she did it perfectly." Her lips curled into a half-grin, "Besides, technically it was more of an omission than an actual lie."

Even though her expression did not betray it, a weight was lifted from Mei's heart. She had come to appreciate her lastborn's friends and would have hated being the cause of a soured friendship. "Glad to hear it, now let's get on with the matter at hand, shall we?"

"Of course."

The Battlemage officer turned to her subordinate who had quietly observed their exchange until now. "Cyrus told you everything he was allowed to, of course. But what he was unable to tell you about is the true motive behind tonight's celebration. But you already suspected that, did you not?"

She knows me well, the wyresse acknowledged internally. "You could say King Arnaud's decision to suddenly throw a feast for the Imperial Princess' arrival while in the middle of the current… situation, did raise quite a few eyebrows. His royal majesty hardly has the reputation of a fool."

"It was not entirely wrong," Mei noted, causing Maëlisse to cock her brows. "I'll spare you the details but one of our groups sent beyond the Rift encountered the daughter of the local Emperor. I was sent to initially treat with her before she decided to visit our side."

The wyresse blinked. "So the peace negotiations have already been agreed upon?" It sounded too premature.

The older woman smiled. "My dear, you know I cannot speak of it. The Princess and one of her knights aside, another person came back with us. She's… special," she turned to her subordinate who had remained quiet throughout the exchange. "Cyrus will explain to you.

It was his group who got involved with them."

Maëlisse refrained herself from shoulder punching the Battlemage. "I hope so," she said with a grin.

Tonight was certainly going to be most interesting.

Piña stepped out from her bath, her naked body still pearling drops of water. A couple of handmaidens draped her into a towel and led the Princess to her bedchambers where other servants awaited her. Once dried, they began painting her nails, brushed her hair and began to apply makeup under the Redhead's instruction.

"Your Imperial Highness," one of the maids began, "your gown."

She briefly admired the clothing that was presented to her. As promised, the tailor had worked quickly. It was a red scarlet ball gown with partial golden embroideries and large sleeves that hung out on the sides. Piña had chosen it according to a local style rather than wearing a more Saderan dress type, partially because she liked the design but more importantly specifically because it was local, to show herself more approachable to the Daggerfall elite. Touching it, the Princess found herself liking the soft fabric, definitely befitting someone of her station.

Soon after the servants helped her dress up, her hair was braided but rather than let it fall into her usual ponytail, she chose a crown braid, more suited for tonight. Putting on her diadem, she pushed back her chair to admire herself. The mirror facing her reflected the image of a young woman that the Redhead didn't find lacking in confidence. She allowed herself to beam before tonight's ball.

*ma mie: my dear

**chérie: Honey/darling