Meli wakes up early on Sun's Eve morning after a few hours of light sleep, sprawled in front of her tiny altar to Mars. Her head is dizzy with hunger, but instead of going to get something to eat, she crawls into her bed and lies down for a bit, still feeling peaceful from last night's prayer session. She eats at least one good meal before heading over to the Alerio manor to speak with Princess Thea...and upon reaching the doorstep, suddenly wishes that she hadn't as her stomach twists itself inside out with anxiety wrought from going to meet a person of much importance.

The door is answered by a servant, who fetches Gregor at her request. Gregor smiles gently at Meli as he leads her through the mansion to the drawing room. "Don't be so nervous," he says. "Thea doesn't bite. Not hard, anyway."

"That's not what I'm worried about," Meli says, wishing she had a piece of ginger to chew on to calm her nerves, which are back with a vengeance after being beaten away last night.

"Then what is it?"

Meli shakes her head, thinking of the lantern flame to incinerate the shadows in her mind.

O-O-O

Princess Edethea Cordelia Daulutidus Valeriam sits primly in a velvet chair of dark green in the airy drawing room. She has curled sand-colored hair down to her shoulders, turquoise eyes in a heart-shaped face, and a dainty figure. She wears an aqua satin gown trimmed with white lace and dark teal ribbons. She exudes the air of being a woman far older than her eighteen years, though there's a certain childishness to the way she's crossed her legs.

Standing off to her right side is her personal guard Minayo, an Izuman girl of about the same age. She's dressed in a black and red Izuman short robe over fitted black pants and sandals, with shin guards. Her left hand rests loosely on her hip, drawing attention to the short sword attached to a horizontal sheath positioned behind her back. Minayo briefly regards Meli with almond-shaped dark eyes before returning to staring intently at nothing in particular.

"Your Highness, may I introduce the Lady Melisande de l'Umbrano, from the house of Lysander," Gregor says.

Meli curtsies. "It's a pleasure to meet you, your Highness."

"The feeling is mutual," Thea says with a bland smile. "My cousin here says that you wish to discuss something with me?"

"Y-yes. And, if you will allow it, I would prefer that Gregor not overhear it."

Thea raises her eyebrows, then gives a graceful shrug. "If that is what makes you comfortable enough to speak."

"You sure that's smart?" Minayo asks – in perfect Yardel, much to Meli's surprise, although with a bit of a street edge to her vocal delivery.

"It'll be fine." Thea slyly glances at Minayo. "Or are you saying you don't think you can defend me against a mere healer?"

"It's those healer types you gotta watch for," replies Minayo, casting another suspicious look in Meli's direction. "They know how to fix you, which means they know how to break you."

"Ah, well, that's fine," Gregor speaks up, gesturing awkwardly. "There's something I should be reading up on anyway, so...I shall be in the library if needed." He bows and leaves, pulling the heavy wooden door shut behind him.

"Please, do take a seat, Melisande," Thea says, motioning to another chair. "What is it that you wanted to talk about?"

Meli sits down and straightens out her skirts (layered, now, as is the usual fashion for females of noble standing) before speaking. "Your Highness, someone wishes to take your life."

Thea smiles in an indulging manner, as though she is speaking to a child. "That's nothing new, I'm afraid. I've long since learned that there will always be someone who wants to see the royal heads on a pike."

"True enough. But this person has the means, drive, and method to carry it out. His name is Ramesh Flernir; he was the one who convinced you and some of the members of the Ministerial Ring to make the tour of the Quarters under the pretense of seeing for yourselves what needs to be repaired there. He intends to strike when you visit on Sun's Day."

Thea frowns. "How did you come by this information? And have you made any effort to stop him yourself?"

"To answer the latter, I visited him and tried to convince him to cease his plans without revealing what I knew, to no avail. As to the former question..." Meli meets Thea's eyes. "As unbelievable as this will sound, I was warned by the Wise One yesterday morning."

Both Thea and Minayo are clearly skeptical. "You cannot possibly mean the Wise One that spoke to the Catalysts," Edethea says.

"Whoever I may mean, I don't see any harm in increasing your defenses, assuming that you'll still go through with your visit to the Quarters..."

"Of course I shall visit the Quarters," snaps Thea, offended. "Do you think I have no integrity?"

Ask that in the Quarters and see if you like the answers you get. "I apologize for my careless remark," Meli says. "I simply wanted to confirm whether you would go or not so that I may make plans to be there myself. Since I was entrusted with this information, I feel I have a duty to see it through to the end."

"I don't see that it's such a big deal, Thea," Minayo says. "It's the Mudhole anyway. You'd definitely be better off with an extra guard or two. Or ten. Though we've got five already for you alone, and one each for the other bastards with you."

"What? We cannot afford to hire any more guards for a small thing like this than is necessary. Father's ridiculous spending has put us in such debt, and we need the money for so many other things! Your constant vigilance is all I'll need, Minayo. Relieve one of my guards of duty, and tell the others that only three guards shall be needed for the Grand Advisor and those with him." Thea's face grew serious, and she turned her attention to Meli. "I do realize that my death would be a tragic thing, and I speak not from vanity but from recognition of my status as Neo Valeriam's princess. However, my sister Vianah holds many of my ideals. She will continue my work should I cease to finish it in this life."

"That's not quite the problem here, your Highness," Meli cuts in. "Ramesh plans to use a deadly Jupiter spell from ancient Anemosian texts to kill you, though I don't know which one. Should you be killed in such a way, your father the king would instantly assume that Contigo was conspiring against Neo Valeriam, and he would incite the Valerians to war."

"You believe in such theories?" asks Thea. "I am familiar enough with the spells that you mention, you realize, and I find them quite fantastical as to verge on ridiculous. Stabbing someone through with a burst of air? Lightning bolts strong enough to incinerate an entire city in a second? Wrenching the breath from someone's lungs to suffocate them? What nonsense. And I highly doubt that this Ramesh is a trained Adept. Anything he musters will be something that Minayo or any of the other guards can handle. I shall have my Djinni, as well. He won't stand a chance."

This does nothing to reassure Meli, who is despairing for the outcome of this conversation. "Your Highness, you will have to forgive my incessant worry, but I am under the impression that, should Neo Valeriam and Contigo go to war, the network of allies combined with our current technology will ensure that this war will not only spread throughout Weyard, but it will be devastating to the point of destroying civilization."

"And who told you that? The Wise One, a shadowy myth?" Thea lets out a long sigh. "Melisande, I may look to be a flighty chit, but I am a very practical girl. I have no time for ghost stories or god-voices. I look to the world around me to make my decisions." She stands up and pushes some of her curls back over her shoulder. "If your only purpose in being here is to relate your hallucinations, you are dismissed. I don't take advice from hysterical women."