A/N: Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 were done way quicker than I anticipated. Will probably see more notes in the coming chapters.


"Milady." Sharp eyes barely darted up to bring into view the person standing at her door. One hand remained on the handle, keeping it ajar at a perfect forty-five degree angle. Pink lips twitched slightly but the owner shifted with the entrance to sit up properly at the oak desk situated in the middle of the room. Deceptively delicate fingers wove together over said lips and those eyes narrowed a slight degree.

"My sincerest apologies for interrupting your work, Mistress Laurent." Fiora's lips quirked up slightly at the formal title but made no other move or sound to address the visitor. It had been years since her rise to the Head of House Laurent, and more importantly her final clash with her father, and many of the House's original staffing had been replaced and groomed by her own doing. It was a hasty, rash decision many believed to be out of a youthful desire to be "born" anew, but with how quickly and rapidly the Laurent fortune accumulated despite the slander to their name it came as no surprise the hand-picked personnel became a part of her defense network. Nothing remained a secret on her property, and she made that clear on day one.

Except her study - the only place where she could comfortably keep her secrets. "La porte, si vous voulez." Without skipping a beat, the visitor stepped in and shut the door with a quiet 'click!' before turning back to face Fiora.

The once-stern demeanor fell away to a warmer one, which was a long stretch of the word but not looking like she was about to send her rapier through whomever walked through that door next counted as a plus in a lot of people's books. "Better. Now, what iz it 'ou must share with me, mon cher?"

"May I have a drink first?" 'A request…' A perfectly arched eyebrow rose. Silence filled the space. A minute passed, a second, and finally a third. Fiora counted to the precise second before they spoke again. "Of course on your graces, milady." 'And an odd one,' she mused if Nera played a safer route in keeping her placated. Smart on her part.

Fiora's eyes narrowed and she wordlessly gestured to the cabinet full of various… consumable substances, if some of those could even be lumped into that category. When the servant made calculated steps towards the furniture, the message was loud and clear to her. Everyone that lived and worked under her roof she trusted. There were few she sought audience with, but only one earned the right to deliver messages to her directly without question. She rose from her place and met the other at the cabinet, pulling open the glass panels and running her fingers over each bottle there. "Your choice, Nera." 'Nationality?'

"I've always had a preference for something a little more home-brewed milady." 'Demacian. Figures.' Fiora tutted softly and pulled a glass from the top shelf. "How would 'ou like it?" 'Who is asking?'

"On ice, two cubes, and make sure to keep them separate." The duelist fought the urge to crush the glass in her hand. 'Of course it would be the Crownguards.' "Will zat be all?"

"Yes, I appreciate your generosity milady." 'No other information? Highly unusual…' The Grand Duelist handed over the glass to the servant, who swirled the liquor inside slowly and carefully. She would have told Nera to stop it, but noted the way the light caught in amber liquid and reflected into her eye. Nera took a sip from the glass, only one before setting it back down. "You always make it perfect milady. Many thanks."

"As you wish, will 'ou be busy later zis evening? I have many zings zat must be finished." 'One sip, no suitors and no one seeking a duel.' Nera didn't reply immediately when she made her way back to the door but right before she shut it behind her, she turned to Fiora with a glint in her eye. "Of course milady, I always have time for you."

The raven-haired woman nodded once and settled back in her chair. It would only be a matter of time before she would return.


"I apologize, but Mistress Laurent is an incredibly busy woman. I will relay her message at a later time when she is free of her duties. Is there anything else you would like for me to pass on?" The young woman standing at the gates looked visibly upset and Nera actually felt terrible for having hidden so much from her. She gave a reassuring smile when the blonde pat her arm and it was returned in full.

"No, that is all. Thank you for heeding my request." When the servant bowed and retreated back into the mansion, the blonde could only huff quietly and spin on her heels in a full turn back the way she came from. Playing politics was one thing, but trying to rebuild burned bridges was something she was completely new to. Of course she expected to find resistance and she glanced down to the small orb of light in her hand. Maybe she'd be able to replay the conversation between Fiora and her servant and see what could be made of it.


"It is rare 'ou use ze code, Nera." Fiora was far more relaxed when Nera returned. She went as far as to pour out half a flute of wine, and was in the midst of sampling said liquid. Nera reached up to undo the band tying back long, white hair and let it flow freely over broad shoulders. For a woman, and at least a decade older than Fiora herself, she was extraordinarily beautiful. If she were a man, the Laurent would have entertained the thought of at least courting her a couple of times. "I had to. It was too risky."

Fiora sighed and sipped her drink. "What could Crownguard possibly want from House Laurent zis time?"

"I spoke in riddles because I was… as the Piltoverian term deems it 'tapped'." Fiora's jaw stiffened as Nera walked over to one of the tall windows on the other side of the room, past her desk.

"I swear, if ze Crownguards are looking to shame zis House even more-"

"I don't believe that's the ulterior motive here, Fiora." From her position, Nera watched the young blonde stop halfway down the road. She raised her hand discreetly and she swore she saw a flash of light before disappearing from sight. The snowy-haired woman met the duelist's firm gaze with a soft expression. Fiora sighed and closed her eyes. Normally she had no problems maneuvering the battlefield that was the political nightmare of Demacia, but when it came to the Crownguards, who were practically royalty themselves at this point, any business with them had to be met with utmost caution. "Do you trust me?"

Fiora scoffed and folded her arms over her chest, fingers rapping against the glass. "'ou are dumb to ask zat question here. I trust your instinct unequivocally."

Nera smiled faintly, a small one but Fiora counted it as a win either way. "You humble me, milady. Let me lay out the facts - after all you have always been the better one at deduction." The snowy-haired woman took a seat in one of the chairs across Fiora's desk, staring at the quill situated on the left side. "The young lass that came by I suspect is none other than Lady Crownguard herself. I've never met her in the flesh, but you have crossed paths with her once or twice at least, have you not?"

Fiora felt her pulse spike a little when Lux was mentioned. Yes, they had 'encountered' one another before, though brief enough to the point she never spared an ounce of memory to the person. The only thing permanently engraved in her brain was the high pitched squeal that came from a stall while she had gone out retrieving supplies for her rapier. That alone had been reason enough for her to send servants to purchase supplies within the capital rather than go herself nowadays. Subconsciously, the duelist rubbed her temple with one hand and fought the urge to ruin her makeup by wiping her face in an attempt to purge her mental space. "We're… 'acquainted' to a limited extent."

Nera pursed her lips before continuing. "From my observations, I believe this is a politically charged move."

Fiora didn't even bother hiding her eye roll and spat at the notion. "Ze little girl is just playing puppet to such a ridiculous and archaic system. Of course zis would involve politics." She loathed and hated what Lux was and represented. There wasn't a single fiber in her being that even saw the youngest Crownguard in a positive light, and she was nestled safely in the bosoms of comfort and luxury while Fiora herself worked tirelessly to restore honor to her name.
"She is like sheep following ze shepherd blindly."

The snowy-haired woman went quiet until the duelist's breathing evened out. She had been on the other end of Fiora's rants to give her some space before attempting to re-engage in conversation. "However, something felt… off." Fiora's gaze damned near burned a hole through Nera's head, impatiently waiting for her to continue. "I don't think she's doing this of her own volition, but out of obligation because she carries her family name. She did not remain long to receive a more definitive answer, nor did she persist which leads me to believe-"

"She is hiding somezing and is creating an alibi."

Nera canted her head and sighed quietly. "Not necessarily in those words, but yes. If the Lady Crownguard is approaching you, Mistress Laurent, Head of House Laurent, and trying to come up with a reason to seek your audience, I think this may be an opportunity to call upon House Crownguard and request a more… formal audience." Fiora didn't like the sound of caving into the Crownguard and painting a picture of submission or opening up to potential relations, but they were in a much better position to make a few moves and calls without hurting the family name. And the thought of having a Crownguard, especially the insufferable daughter Luxanna, grovel at her feet instead of the other way around meant she was powerful enough that even the mightiest family in Demacia recognized her power and potential. She turned the idea over a few times, looking for any potential holes and cracks that might let something slip through.

"No, we will not have a formal audience." Fiora smirked and emptied the rest of her drink in one fell swoop. She held the sweet liquid in her mouth a little while longer, slowly drinking down what remained of it. "Zhey have too much power and control in an arranged setting. Formality is only for zose who seek gains."

"She is the one who initiated this, and the ball is in our court." Nera frowned before realizing something. "She knows that. She came, not a messenger."

"A direct player. One zat I must answer in kind."

"She is baiting you."

"Oui, but she will also be vulnerable to me." An eye for an eye, a blow for a blow.

Nera chuckled quietly and rose from her seat. "Shall I deliver a reply then?"

Fiora tapped her wrist and leaned back in her chair. "'Ou are wasting time."

'If it is a game you want to play, little girl, then you will suffer the consequences.'