Chapter Three: The Duelist's Shame

"I can't believe he is actually making me come here," Quinn whispered to herself as she was escorted through iora Laurent's estate. She was there to ask the head of the house to consider joining Jarvan's ranks amongst the most powerful people Demacia had to offer. Quinn was a bit irritated— she knew what the answer was going to be. It was always the same. Yet, Jarvan insisted that she try and convince Fiora.

The well-dressed man in front of Quinn ignored her while he walked her through the estate. She assumed he was the help. That is what she seemed to notice. There were no guests in the mansion. It was all workers— but even they seemed annoyed about Quinn's presence. The maids of the Laurent's eyed Quinn as she tracked her dirty boots through the freshly cleaned carpets.

She would have to admit the mansion was gorgeous. Glorious paintings of Laurents hung on the ivory walls. There were displays of countless trophies and ribbons. Each glass case was accompanied by a marble bust and a portrait of what family members the awards belonged to. It was incredible. The Laurent house were known for their outstanding sword fighting.

However, as beautiful as it was, no one came to the Laurent home.

They were a cursed family.

Each generation of the Laurent House had a misfortune in their life. The blood of Fiora's family was tainted. Her grandmother was a Noxus apologist and ran off to marry a Noxian peasant. Her great-grandfather had multiple failing marriages and nearly lost their fortune divorcing the last wife. Her father, while being a great sword fighter, was known to cheat. He played dirty, bribed judges, and spied on training opponents. Now being the head of the house, Fiora had to carry all that shame.

What was Fiora's curse? One nearly everyone mentioned was her inability to find love. Of course, the beautiful woman had suitors but nothing ever blossomed. Quinn had heard rumors of some men running from the estate screaming.

Quinn sometimes felt bad… until she remembered she was a Laurent. More snobby than the Crownguards and more hostile than the Vaynes, the Laurents were just downright unpleasant. Most of the time, Quinn disliked these purebred nobles but Lux kept her from thinking they were all the same.

"Lady Fiora, there is a guest for you. They bring a message from the prince." The servant said in front of a large door. Quinn didn't even notice they had stopped— she was so busy thinking about how badly she wanted to leave. The air in the giant mansion faintly smelled of bread.

"Tell them that he can stick his message—" Fiora slammed open the door. She stared directly at the lightly armored scout, her expression unreadable. Her blue eyes narrowed as she looked her over. She frowned, "You have a message, yes?"

"Correct," Quinn replied, still unclear what she was thinking.

"Step into my parlor," Fiora said before turning into the room she came out of.

The scout followed her inside, seeing how even more beautifully decorated it was compared to the rest of the estate. There were flowers everywhere, some not known to grow in Demacia. Fiora also had a case of her own trophies against the wall. There were a lot more than any of the cases outside. In the middle of the room was a seating area. Gorgeously upholstered couches and a tea table between them. Quinn saw there was already tea and bread there.

So that's where that smell was coming from.

"Sit with me," Fiora said while taking a seat on one of the couches. She gestured to the one in front of her. Quinn obliged and lightly sat on the firm cushions. She could tell no one sat here often. The dualist crossed her long legs while she kept her eyes on Quinn. She cleared her throat, "So, what does the prince want now?"

"He wants you to consider joining our elite ranks." She answered.

"And have my talents be used for his silly little war games?" She scoffed, disgusted. "I'm sure he can manage with the Crownguard siblings."

"You don't need to answer him now. He just says to consider."

"I see…" Fiora's lip curled. She then noticed the hot pot of tea in front of her, "How inconsiderate of me. Would you like some tea and bread?" Her hand reached for an empty porcelain cup.

"Uh, yes, thank you." It would have been rude to reject her offer. Part of Quinn's task was to convince Fiora to join. Lux had mentioned before Quinn left to accept everything Fiora offered and to make her feel included. Easier said than done.

"It's a special blend imported from Ionia." Fiora mentioned as she poured the brown-red tea into the small cup. She handed it to Quinn before pouring one for herself. Her hand stopped over the bread, pulled back, and reached again. She seemed conflicted but she ended up grabbing a small piece. "Help yourself to the bread. It'll help me from eating it all."

Quinn took one for herself. As she looked around the table, she noticed it was just bread. There were no other foods or toppings for the bread. No butter. No jam. No honey. Just bread. It was a bit weird but Quinn ignored it.

"Now, tell me, Miss Scout." Fiora's cold glare landed on Quinn, "What is so special about Jarvan's little army of bloated knights?"

Quinn knew that Fiora was playing with her. She had to force herself not to make any faces. The scout took a sip of her tea as she searched for where to start. Her golden eyes scanned the room, seeing an empty case with the portrait of Fiora's late father. The uneven layers of dust made it seem like there were once trophies in the case. She heard Fiora crunch on her bread, making her look back at the duelist.

"He pays us well." She said. Fiora snorted, trying to hide her laugh with her hand.

"Do I look like I need his payments?" The older woman gestured to her grand parlor. "Why don't you tell me something about yourself instead. I know you're a part of his little army."

"Well, I'm from Uwendale—"

"That quaint little farming village near the mountains— I can tell why you love his gold." Fiora sneered as she sipped from her cup. Quinn felt a flicker or annoyance inside her.

"Actually, Fiora, I was asked to join." She challenged, "I trained for years to just get Jarvan's attention. He saw my potential with my companion, Valor, and he tasked us to track down a Noxian fugitive. We did more than that. We apprehended him."

Fiora looked back at Quinn, her brow arched up. She popped the last of her bread in her mouth before she set her cup down.

"I heard about that." Her voice wasn't soaked in that sour tone, which made Quinn tense.

"I don't fight for Jarvan because I want his gold. I fight for Demacia." She continued, "It gives me great honor to even stand beside the Elite our people look up to. I assume you, of all people, would want that honor."

"How dare—"

"Imagine, Fiora. When our people speak the name Laurent, they won't be speaking about your past scandals. Lady Fiora cut down five Noxians at once! You would be a great addition to our team."

Fiora sat silently, her hand gripping her knee tightly. It was a few seconds before she reached to drink from her tea again. She knocked back the remaining drink and nearly slammed it on the table. Quinn could see she was thinking about what she had said. The duelist grabbed another piece of bread and bit into it. She glanced up at the ranger, seeing her staring right back. Fiora swallowed before setting the food down.

"I shouldn't be eating that much," sighed Fiora. "I'll get fat."

Quinn smiled, seeing Fiora notice. The duelist was not fat. She had long sculpted legs and a waist an hourglass would be jealous about. Lux's words rang in the ranger's head again.

"You look fantastic. No wonder you have so many suitors." They said flatter got you nowhere but Quinn hoped that was false. She saw Fiora turn away, her long bangs hiding her expression. She suddenly shot up from her seat, her face again unreadable like before.

"You tell your prince to arrange a meeting with me tomorrow." She ordered.

Incredible.

"I will do that, Fiora." Quinn nodded as she stood. The two women stared at each other for a moment. Quinn noticed Fiora had a good few inches on her. It was definitely those legs. She stepped towards the older woman, offering her a handshake. The duelist glared down at her hand but eventually shook Quinn's hand. The scout smiled again, "Thank you for taking the time to talk to me."

"It was a pleasure oddly." Fiora said, "You are… welcome to come by again."

"As… allies?" The scout winked.

"Let's start with acquaintances."

Notes: Don't remember if they ever got into specifics on what Fiora's father did but cheating seems like a plausible thing.