Leonard hadn't been expecting a particularly quiet day even before Sara A'Stella had run her sword through Damien Darhk's heart, and he certainly wasn't looking at one now. Still, that was a trade he'd gladly make.

Len had ordered Mick to keep his ear to the ground as the news spread, then took himself off to the Mages Guild, either to deliver the news himself or see how Guild Master Harrison Wells was reacting to it. He wasn't at all surprised to find that the tall, acerbic mage already knew that Darhk was dead—and that a newcomer to the city was behind it—but Wells hadn't known that Sara had caught Darhk red-handed in black magic.

"We'd both suspected for a while," he reminded the other man, who was pacing his office, muttering to himself. "That was how we hoped to finally force him out, getting one or more of the guards to catch him in the act."

Harry frowned at him. "I do remember that," he retorted, stopping short and folding his arms. "It's simply…disconcerting…that after all our planning, we hadn't proven it yet, and then some neophyte…"

Len pointed at him in an admonishing manner, even as the door opened to the side and Wells' second slipped into the room. "She's certainly not that," he said firmly. "New to the city, yes. Not new to the trade and extremely competent, if I'm any judge…"

"And you are…"

"Well, then." Leonard folded his own arms and glanced over at Caitlin, nodding to her. "So, stop being crabby that you didn't bring him down yourself and just appreciate the fact that he's gone."

"Hear, hear," Caitlin said drily, looking at her Guild master. "The whole city should be celebrating."

Harrison grumbled, but nodded, subsiding into his chair. Len grinned at Caitlin, a frost mage who'd taught him a few tricks, as that was where his own meager magical talents lay. (Hence the snowflake on his emblem.) The woman rolled her eyes, but smiled back at him, perching on the other chair in the room and watching Harrison. Len was actually fairly sure the two were lovers, but if they wanted to keep it on the sly, he'd certainly let them.

Yes, Harrison certainly had a certain way of smiling at her, and he was doing it right then. Then he seemed to remember just who was sitting there smirking at them and cleared his throat, looking back to Len.

"The apprentice who survived," he said formally. "Can we assist?"

Len had been expecting this. He'd made this particular inquiry before he'd come here, in fact.

"The kid's with the Healers Guild," he told the mages. "And Lisa said he's hanging in there." Len's sister, once an unwilling apprentice thief, had just made master healer. She'd gone to that Guild after Len…after Len had taken over the Thieves Guild. "But, yes, I think the Guild Master is planning to ask."

He continued into his next thought immediately, needing to get it out. "Will you be there tomorrow? When Sara meets the king and the captains of the Triple Guard? I said I'd sponsor her, but the more support the better—not that I think Hunter won't be really pleased at the change."

Harrison blinked, then sat back a little in his chair as Caitlin made a thoughtful noise. The two exchanged a glance before looking back at Len. (Definitely lovers, he thought.)

Harrison shook his head. "You are impressed," he mused. "To sponsor her? Does she know what that means?"

Len didn't respond to the second question, but he did respond to the implied first one. "I am," he agreed. "And I want to know more about how she knows someone pulled strings to get Darhk into power, which we also suspected. If this will help…"

The men regarded each other for another moment, then both nodded at each other in unison. (Caitlin chuckled in amusement.)

"I'll be there," Harrison said curtly. "And I hope you appreciate it, given how much I hate court."

"You love it," Len pointed out with a chuckle of his own, rising from the chair. "You go and you're rude to everyone and no one can do a damned thing about it."

The other man didn't dignify that with a response.

"You need formal court garb." Amaya's voice was flat.

"Yep." Sara didn't look up from Darhk's log books. They were meticulous…but not regarding anything he truly should have been concerned about as Guild master. Perhaps she'd only just found herself in this position, but she knew that. Where were the records of each Guild member, their background, rank and training? Of marks taken out and those who'd paid for them? There was one small, locked box in the office that Sara hadn't managed to open, but it wasn't nearly big enough for the all the records it would have needed to contain. Why had the king stood for this? Or the Council?

"By tomorrow afternoon."

"Yep." Sara sighed, putting the last book down. She was going to have to rebuild this Guild from the ground up. If she couldn't figure out a way out. "Apparently. So Len said."

"Oh, it's Len already, is it?" Amaya shook her head and eyed her friend, folding her arms. "Sara, we can't get anything made to your size by then. And the odds of finding something already made that suits…well. Not likely."

Sara considered banging her head against the desk again. "I can't avoid going to court. Not if I want to start off on the right foot. And I need to do that." She stood, picking up one of the books. "I need to show that I'm not Darhk. I don't think I'd even realized just what he'd done to the Guild." She gave her friend a helpless look. "This isn't…this isn't how it should be. I mean, it may not be the highest calling, but…"

Amaya's eyes flicker in sympathy. "That doesn't change it."

"I know, but…" Sara sighed. "Ah, hells. I'll just wear something…"

But Amaya was looking thoughtful, holding up a hand. "Wait. I know you packed it, when we set out…your…" She waved a hand. "The outfit you said you wore when you were made master. Back in…"

Sara stared at her. "That's not really court formal," she said weakly.

Amaya smiled. "But it is lovely. And impressive as hell." She shrugged. "Begin as you mean to go on."

Sara considered another moment, then started to smile. "That's…true. Very true." She nodded. "OK. It's hanging in my room." She could take Darhk's quarters now…but she wanted to thoroughly fumigate them first. In more ways than one. "Excellent idea."

"Len will probably be thoroughly impressed." Amaya snickered when Sara looked at her. "What? You liked him, didn't you? I talked a bit with his second. And he does seem to be admirable. As admirable as a thief can be." A fond look crossed her face. "Mick told me…some interesting stories."

"Oh, it's Mick already, is it?" But Sara merely smiled, glad to have one thing settled. There was so much else that wasn't. "I guess…if I'm going to do anything here at all…I need to start interviewing Guild members and establishing their credentials, etc. I can't do much about the past, but I can set things up for the future."

Amaya smiled a little in return. "You're planning to stay," she said with certainty. "Good. I rather like it here."

"Well. I don't know about that," Sara hedged, looking down at the book in her hands. "But it seems like the least I can do is get things back in order before I leave."

"Uh huh." Amaya sounded amused again. "OK. I'll get your outfit in order. Do I need to go with you?"

"I…don't think so?" Sara frowned. "Len didn't say so."

"Len again." But Amaya simply shook her head. "All right. Remember that you'll have to deal with the other masters in this Guild eventually. Right now, they're just plain scared of you, but eventually, someone might think about challenging."

"Let 'em try," Sara muttered, then nodded. "Thanks." She darted a quick look at her friend. "Dinner later? I think we both need it."

Amaya agreed, and departed, and Sara sighed yet again, considering all the tasks ahead of her.

So, thinking about what Ra's at his best would have done, she sat down again and started writing up a code of conduct, and a list of questions to ask her Guild members. It was a start.

Leonard didn't have any interviews to do with prospective Guild members that day, so he spent the next bit of time just getting a read on his city. Not as much time as he would have liked…but more than he got some days.

The word about Darhk was getting out, and the reaction was mostly cautious relief. No one liked having that man in charge of a guild that was still regarded warily….and everyone remembered what had happened with Queen Miranda. Darhk and his guild had been cleared of any involvement, but the court of public opinion was still uncertain.

For what it was worth, Len was pretty sure Darhk had had nothing to do with that—or he'd have taken the man out himself, tradition be damned. And Hunter would be been right there with him.

The king as the head of the Assassins Guild? That would be…interesting.

Then it was time for Len's weekly meeting with Barry A'Cen…well, West, since he'd married the daughter of the captain of the City Guard. Barry was his liaison between the City Guard and the Thieves Guild, a good-hearted and honest man with no reason to love Damien Darhk. Len had actually given serious thought to seducing the fellow before he'd realized that Barry and Iris West were truly a love match, but that didn't keep him from flirting as much as he could manage.

Odd. He really wasn't feeling it today. Sara's face flickered in front of his mind's eye and Len shook his head violently, clearly it, as he waited in the café, walking a coin through his fingers idly. She was attractive and he was impressed, but that's all it was…right?

"Leonard!" Barry hustled up, breathless as usual, taking his seat even as Leonard blinked away his other thoughts. "Sorry. Been a busy day." The younger man looked at him earnestly, even as he reached for the drink Len ordered for him as a matter of course. "The Assassins Guild. You know, of course."

Len rolled his eyes, transferring the coin to his other hand. "And what does that have to do with you?"

"Well," Barry looked thoughtful, taking a sip of the ale. "Most everyone's glad about Darhk—and if someone's not, that bears looking into, doesn't it?" He nodded as Leonard's gaze sharpened. "And we've been interviewing people to make sure it really was done according to the rules. Most challenges are in public."

"And?"

"And everyone says that it was." Barry nodded again, firmly. "Impromptu, but clean. I don't know much about the new Guild master yet…"

Leonard leaned back in his chair, smirking. "And what's that worth to you?" The smirk grew as the younger man actually flushed. Perhaps Len hadn't made any truly sincere attempts to seduce Barry since his marriage, but he wasn't above using innuendo and memory to fluster the guard. "Seriously, though, I don't know a lot, but I do know some. Met with her this morning."

Barry eyed himself, taking a gulp of his drink. "You work fast."

"You know it."

The guard ignored that one. "OK. First, though, let's get though the usual stuff. Um…you have no one to ransom, but you know that. Any new members to report?"

"Two new apprentices." Len paused to pass a few papers over. "Their particulars." He started walking the coin over his knuckles. "Anyone file a grievance?"

Barry chuckled a little as he studied the papers. "Well." He shook his head. "There's a merchant from Natione who was traveling with his rare coin collection. And apparently didn't take warnings about the Thieves Guild here seriously. Or he thought his security measures would be enough." Another gulp of ale. "Anyway, it vanished, he's furious, he keeps demanding we get it back."

"Is that so."

"So, I have to verify that it was indeed a licensed Guild…" Barry, who'd just glanced up, finally took notice of the coin Len had been toying with. "Len."

"Barry."

"Is that an…old Metropolis sovereign?" The tone of the younger man's voice said perfectly well that he already knew it was.

Len paused to admire the coin. "Yep."

There was a moment of silence and then Barry sighed theatrically. "So, right," he said, watching as Len made the coin spin and then vanish. "It was definitely a licensed Guild member." He shook his head. "You know, most Guild leaders sort of retire from active work when they take over."

"What fun would that be?" Len smirked and took a sip of his own drink. "Standard rules apply. If he wants to get it back, I can provide him with a ransom assessment. I'd prefer that, actually. Gotta keep the coffers flush."

"Oh, he's gonna love that," Barry muttered, then shook his head again. "OK. So…the new Assassins Guild master?"

"Sara A'Stella," Leonard took him promptly. "About your age. Master assassin. Started to give another name at first and stopped." He looked thoughtful. "She may be originally from Stella, but I'd say she hasn't been back there in a while. Accent wasn't right."

"Did she come here to challenge?" Barry asked, learning forward.

"No. She…" Len frowned at him then. "Am I telling the guard liaison this, or the husband of a bard?"

The members of the Bards Guild weren't just singers—in fact, those who were primarily performers had their own guild entirely. The bards were the information spreaders of the city and the kingdom. And Iris West was a good one.

Barry looked offended. "You know that Iris wouldn't repeat something without verifying it."

"Gotcha." Well, better that Iris start off with information he knew to be true—for Sara's sake. Len shrugged and settled in to tell the story. "She walked in on Darhk practicing black magic…"