"Are you unwell?" Caesaria asked. Her soothing tone was but a whisper above the impatient clack of her sister's boot as she bounced it against the stone floor in the cell next to hers.

Eirene took a deep breath, resting her leg. She knew Caesaria was too polite to ask her to stop.

"I'm tired of waiting."

Caesaria hummed in understanding. She too was eager to know what Barnabas had in store for them. Lifting her arm, she glanced at her bare wrist and smiled softly.

"At least those insufferable cuffs are gone."

Eirene snorted in humor. She had a point. The iron was beginning to bite into her skin. Cid had them removed before the twins were taken to their cells, guaranteeing the wary Knight who escorted them that the two would 'behave like fair maidens,' a comment that earned him a pointed look from Eirene.

She was grateful to Cid, but his kindness felt somewhat insincere, at least to her. He had no clear motive. Why give them solace?

"How do you imagine they work?" Caesaria added. "I've never seen tools like them before."

Eirene wasn't certain.

"If I had to make a guess I would say that they are imbued with a shard of a Mothercrystal, one that stops the flow of magic. There are more than we can account for spread across the lands."

There might have been more to the shards than either of them knew, something beyond elemental magic, much like Siren's abilities. Her 'Lunatic Voice' inflicted 'Silence' on an opponent; the cuffs appeared to do the same but at an advanced level.

"One thing I am certain of though is that those cuffs are effective only against Dominants and Bearers," Eirene added in contempt.

It was an underhanded tactic to keep them and those like them compliant. What she didn't understand was why the Dominant of Odin would keep a tool like this in his kingdom. Were they not the same? Cursed by the Mothercrystals.

I'm looking too far into it. We are his enemies, after all, Eirene thought with a sigh.

"Eirene…?" Caesaria addressed in a whisper. Something was clearly on her mind. "Back there, in front of Barnabas Tharmr…was it truly your desire to be useful to him."

A sympathetic expression softened Eirene's face.

"Do you not know me better than that, sister?"

Caesaria smiled.

"I thought that was the case. But will it save our skins as you had hoped?"

"Who's to say," Eirene answered. "We've been here for a day or so and we've heard nothing from him."

The remark irritated her. She bounced her foot again, breaking the silence with the impatient click of her boot heel until a second pair joined, approaching the cells. Moments later, a middle-aged man with a trimmed beard came into view.

"Stand, misses," he ordered. Though his tone was cordial, his eyes held a look of contempt as he glanced between the twins.

Eirene did as he asked, watching him unlock her sister's cell and then hers. She raised a brow and waited for him to clue her in about what was going on.

"I am Gerulf, second in command of the Royal Intelligencers," the man addressed himself as. "Lady Benedikta Harman sent me to escort you both to your new chambers."

Eirene spared a look at her sister who hummed in interest.

"Chambers? Am I to assume King Tharmr has chosen to spare us?" She asked.

Gerulf tightened his jaw.

"Yes, my lady. But further questions will have to wait. Come."

He turned and ascended the stairs with Eirene and Caesaria at his armored heels. The former focused on them as Gerulf led them across the balcony that overlooked the courtyard. It was a childish action, at least to her, but she didn't want to see where Vero Clineas was beheaded.

Once passed the throne room, down an ornate corridor, Gerulf brought them to their chamber doors. Caesaria was given one on the right and Eirene was given one adjacent to her.

"Lady Benedikta will collect you both shortly. Be ready and do not keep her waiting," Gerulf ordered.

Eirene wanted to ask him what Benedikta had planned for them, but he turned quickly and walked away.

"What do you suppose this is about?" Caesaria asked.

"No idea," Eirene uttered.

She took an uneasy breath and spared her twin a curious glance before she opened the chamber door and walked inside. The pleasant condition of the room took her back a moment. It was more ornamental than she was used to, with a small four-post bed, an unadorned fireplace that hadn't been lit in some time, a wooden writing desk, and a washstand. Her bedchamber in Salacia could not compare to this; it was merely a straw-lined mat on the floor in a room she shared with her sister.

Eirene knew this was just a gift that could be taken back upon her failure to be useful to Barnabas, but she was awestruck. She wandered around the room, taking in the sights as if she were a child again. She found that on the writing desk was a clean outfit; trousers, and a blue bell-sleeved linen tunic with silver details. A heavy leather purse sat on top with a mixture of crystals in it, which she brought over to the washstand with her. She could cast other spells being that she was a Dominant, but aside from tricks and mundane uses like lighting a candle, it was ineffective in a fight.

After using her magic to fill the basin and heat it with a red fire crystal, Eirene washed up with soap and then changed into her new outfit. Content with her quick bath, she bound the purse to her belt and walked back into the corridor. Caesaria stood in wait, dressed in a yellow tunic that was similar to her twins'. Her damp hair was tied in a loose ribbon and her feathered cuff was around her ear.

"You look much better," she commented.

"As do you," Eirene retorted.

Her sister walked to her and pulled her into a hug. After everything that had happened to them in the past five moons, this was welcomed.

"My chamber is stunning," Caesaria mentioned.

Eirene hummed in agreement. Despite the nature of their agreement with Barnabas, she opted to allow her sister the chance to be excited. Her chamber was beyond her expectations as well.

"This is warming," a familiar voice stated. Benedikta approached the twins, taking a draw from her pipe. "Like peasants pissing themselves in elation over a loaf of bread."

Eirene parted from her sister and turned her eyes to the blonde, offering her no reaction.

"Lady Harman. It is good to see you," Caesaria declared with a smile.

Speak for yourself, Eirene thought.

She witnessed Benedikta grin. Turning, the woman motioned for them to follow her, escorting the twins from the balcony to the courtyard. Despite the mess being cleaned up from Vero's execution, Eirene still felt uncomfortable walking close to where his head was recently cleaved from his portly body. Unintentional or not, she didn't like it.

In silence, Benedikta led them to an enormous barrack on the other side of the yard. Knights trained in the bailey as they sauntered through; some were off attending to the chocobos in their stables as others wandered around. Eirene had heard that Waloed's army was massive, but she didn't realize how true the rumors were; their barrack was almost as big as the main castle. Though it made sense. While Salacia was tending to the beastman problem, the Royal Knights were growing in numbers and strength. She was impressed but also unnerved.

Once inside, the twins were taken down to the cellar, to a door at the end, nestled beside a half rack of red wine and barrels of what reeked of tobacco and grain.

Benedikta spun her hand and rapped her knuckles against the door, waiting with an impatient bounce of her heel for clearance. She knew that the Lord Commander was inside; she could see the flickering candle flame spilling out from beneath the door.

"Open the fucking door, Cidolfus," she ordered.

The sound of rummaging could be heard from within, and a moment later the door opened with a loud creak.

"Ay now, don't get your knickers in a knot," one Cidolfus Telamon stated.

His eyes narrowed, darting between the twins and Benedikta.

"I see you both are alive and well. Would have been a waste to execute you."

"Three Dominants is already too many," Benedikta remarked. She was referring to Cid, Barnabas, and herself. Allowing the twins to live and serve Waloed was a good move in terms of military strength, but that didn't mean she liked it.

Cid snorted.

"The more the merrier I say."

"Then you won't mind taking one of them off my hands," Benedikta suggested with a grin. "I already have enough to do and one of them is all I need."

Cid raised a curious brow, which Eirene mirrored.

"Taking one under your wing, are you?"

"Against my consent," the blonde stated in disdain.

It was her king's order that she advise one of them. The winged Dominant was better suited to espionage than her twin; the latter she swore was raised by beastmen. Her temperament was too crass for such a delicate task which proved true when she grabbed Eirene by the sleeve and yanked her forward, earning a glare from her. She looked like she might bare her fangs at any moment and bite her like a rabid hyena.

"This one is yours."

Was she a pet now? Eirene had to bite her tongue to keep from calling out Benedikta. She didn't like the idea of being separated from Caesaria, not with the blonde advising her. There was no telling what she'd make her do.

Sparing her twin a look, she saw the uncertainty in her eyes, but with a forced smile, Caesaria was able to convince her a little that she'd be fine. Eirene took a deep breath, watching as Benedikta led her away.

"It's you and me now, ey?" Cid asked.

"Seems like it," Eirene uttered, turning to face him.

Cid invited her in, moving out of the doorframe so she could walk inside. Her shoulder brushed his, but Eirene ignored it as she took in the decor. Besides a work table with scattered sheets of paper and thick tomes on it, the room almost came across as a bed chamber. It even had a four-post bed against the wall that looked like it hadn't been slept in for many moons.

"You live here? By your own choice?"

Cid snorted.

"You get used to it. There's no racket from above…fucking cold when the seasons change, however."

She could imagine. Even so, she wouldn't choose to live in a place like this. She didn't even know what she was doing down here with him. Other than being looked after like a child.

"So…am I meant to be your protégé or something?"

"I'm not that old," Cid remarked.

Eirene turned her eyes to him, raising a brow. He honestly looked older than her, but as far as she could tell his hair wasn't graying yet.

"What will you have me do then?"

"Sit on the bed," he ordered.

Her face heated up and her mind filled with filth. There was no damn way she was going to do as he asked. He was handsome, no doubt about it, but they were enemies. She had no choice but to tolerate him.

Eirene narrowed her eyes in disdain, an action that made Cid laugh.

"Or stand. I don't care."

She watched him walk over to his work table and grab a tome, tossing it to her. Eirene fumbled with it but managed not to drop it on the floor. The damned thing was thick and old, so old the title had worn off.

"What am I to do with this?"

"Read it, or don't. But sit quietly so I can work," Cid answered.

Eirene tightened her jaw in irritation. What was his problem? She wasn't a damned child. Why was he treating her like one? She opened her mouth to rebuke, but Cid sat in his chair with his back to her, searching through the tomes on the work table.

Fuck you.

Sitting down on the bed, she opened the book. Eirene wasn't in the mood to read, but she wasn't in the mood to deal with Cid either; the former was less likely to earn her a trip to the dungeons.

Or worse.

An air of dread consumed her, but before her mind could wander, Eirene tossed herself into the pages of the book, ready for whatever wisdom they had to offer.