Etiquette

Elise was overjoyed at Karthus's request.

"Courtly manners, "she mused, "I thought you would never ask. Are you perhaps finally considering allowing me take her to Noxus?"

"Noxus!" Achlys exclaimed, her face lighting up at the idea, "Can I, Father? Please, please, please! I want to see Noxus!"

"Not yet, Achlys," Karthus responded, "Noxus is a long ways away."

"I thought the Mists carried you very fast?" Achlys asked, "How far away is Noxus?"

"Oh, my dear," Elise sighed, "You would not be traveling in the Mists. There is no subtlety in that."

"What's subtlety?"

"Something you will need to understand in Noxus," Elise answered, "It means that you are doing something without wanting to be noticed. Riding a giant cloud of Black Mist into a major port city is about as far from subtle as you can be. When I someday am allowed to bring you to Noxus, we will be going by my ship. The journey takes almost an entire month."

"A month!" Achlys looked between Elise and Karthus, "That's a really long time to be away from home."

"It is," Karthus said, "and then there would be the return trip and the time you spend in Noxus. I imagine that you would be away for several months."

"Oh," Achlys mumbled, "maybe I'm not ready yet."

"There is no need to rush," Karthus comforted, "you need not go until you are ready."

Elise cast Karthus an annoyed look, to which he replied with a self-satisfied smirk so brief that Achlys didn't even notice it.

"Enough talk of travel for now," Karthus said, "Elsie, why don't you tell Achlys what special thing you have planned for her finding day?"

"Cake?" Achlys asked expectantly.

"Of course I brought you cake, my little bug," Elise said, "I would never forget your favorite treat, but I also have something special to teach you?"

"New magic?"

"It is like magic in a way. I am going to teach you proper highborn etiquette."

"What is etiquette?"

"Special manners that special people follow."

"I have good manners," Achlys stated proudly, "I say 'please' and 'thank you' and 'excuse me.' Being polite is nice."

"There is more to etiquette than simply remembering your 'pleases' and 'thank yous.' It is also how you say them and how you carry yourself. It is like a game with many, many rules."

"I like games."

"I have no doubt you will someday play this one well, but first you must learn the rules. My parents started teaching me the rules when I was five. This is your sixth finding day, but you are older than six years of age. You are starting to learn a little later than most young girls would, but do not worry. You are bright. I know you will learn quickly."

Achlys blushed at the compliment.

"The first thing I want to teach you is how to properly greet someone," Elise continued, "Please, show me how you greet someone now."

"Can do!" Achlys chirped before turning to Acheron at her side, "Hello," she addressed her guardian, "my name is Achlys. Who are you?"

She held out her hand as if to shake it and Acheron pressed himself gently against it.

"Nice to meet you Acheron!" she turned back to her aunt, "How was that?"

"Friendly," Elise answered, "and cute, but too casual. You get quite excited when you meet someone, which is nice, but in more formal company, you should behave more calmly."

"Don't be excited? But meeting someone new is exciting."

"It can be, but it is important to leave a strong first impression. If you were to greet a noble in the way you just did, they would think you are friendly and happy, but they would also view you as a child."

"I am a child."

"Yes, but you would you rather have them think of you as a silly child or a proper young lady?"

"Is one better than the other?"

"Yes."

"Which one is it?"

"You want to be seen as a young lady."

"Oh, okay. How do I do that?"

"I will show you. What you do first depends on whether or not someone is introducing you."

"Assume I will be," Karthus interrupted.

"Who would you be introducing her to?" Elise asked, giving the lich a suspicious glance as she did.

"Does it matter?" Karthus responded, "Given her age, it is not unreasonable to assume that I would be the one giving introductions."

"I suppose it does not matter," Elise agreed, "but I do find it odd that you suddenly have placed such an importance on her behavior. You had seemed content to simply let her be as she was."

"And I find it odd that you are questioning me. I know you have long desired to teach her this and I am finally agreeing with you. That should be sufficient."

Elise gave a dry chuckle.

"Fair enough, Karthus," she said, "As curious as I am, I am more content to be teaching her. I will ask no further since the question has unsettled you so much."

"I am not perturbed by a simple question."

A knowing smirk was the only response she gave Karthus before she turned her attention back to Achlys.

"Since your father has answered the question for you," she said, "I will show you have to behave when someone is introducing you. Karthus, you will help me demonstrate. Introduce me to Achlys's creature, and for the sake of this example, we will pretend that that little thing is of higher station."

Karthus nodded and moved forward.

"Elise," he spoke, "I would like to introduce you to someone. This is Acheron, high priest of the Kindred,"

Elise kept her expression calm, pleasant, and neutral, with little more than a small smile on her lips.

"Acheron," Karthus continued, "this is Elise, devotee of the Spider God."

"Now," Elise spoke to Achlys without turning from Acheron, "you will give a small bow or curtsy."

"Which is more traditional?" Karthus asked.

"A curtsy," Elise answered, doing the best to mask her annoyance at now being twice interrupted.

"Then Achlys will curtsy."

"Very well. Achlys, you will give a small curtsy," she demonstrated the action, "and then you will state how pleased you are to meet them. Observe. 'It is a pleasure to meet you, Acheron.' Then, the other person would respond with something similar. After introductions, you may have a conversation. If you do, remember, the person of higher station leads the direction of the conversation. They will speak first and you will respond."

"Okay," Achlys commented.

"And one more thing, Achlys," Elise continued, "eye contact is important. Do not stare at the person before introduction, you will come across as rude, but once you are speaking with them, do not avert your gaze. You want to give someone your undivided attention when speaking in a formal setting."

"Okay."

There were a lot of rules for Achlys to try and remember, but the young girl felt confident that she could do so. After all, her Auntie believed in her and her father wanted her to learn them. Not disappointing either of them was more than enough motivation for Achlys to dedicate herself to trying to learn these new manners.

"Would you like to practice?" Elise asked.

"Yeah!" Achlys answered as she skipped over towards Elise.

Elise gave a small sigh but said nothing. Walking with proper poise and grace would have to be a lesson for another day. For now, she would focus on one thing at a time.

"Karthus," she said, "introduce us, please."

As the day carried on and Achlys grew tired of learning all the new rules presented to her, they agreed to stop practicing for the evening. Achlys opened her presents from Elise; new silk hair ribbons, a blouse in the rich crimson colors of the Empire, a collection of various jams and preserves, and of course, cake. While Achlys was enjoying in her favorite indulgence, Elise took Karthus aside to question the lich.

"The truth, Karthus," she demanded, "tell me it."

Karthus felt his mouth twinge into a frown. That was twice in a short period of time someone had accused him of being deceitful.

"I do not lie, Elise," he said, "I want my daughter to know how to behave in high society when she eventually travels with you to Noxus."

"You do not want her to depart for many years, I know that. Why the sudden desire to prepare for that day?"

"She will need time to practice and develop the mannerisms that will be expected of her."

"You are a terrible liar, Karthus."

"I do not lie," he repeated more bitterly this time.

"But you are withholding the truth. Do not take me for a fool. I would not have survived for as long as I have if I could not tell when someone was being dishonest. Tell me what you are planning so that I may help Achlys. If any harm comes to that child because of your reluctance, I swear, I will find a way to kill you again."

Karthus looked directly at Elise. If he had been told years ago that he would someday trust the spider woman, he would have vehemently disagreed and laughed at the absurd notion of the idea. She was a manipulator who deceived her followers and sacrificed them to her god after promising salvation. But now, in regards to Achlys, there was no one, living or dead, that he trusted as much with her wellbeing. So Karthus relented and spoke honestly with her.

"Achlys will need to be brought before her sovereign eventually," he began.

"The mad man?" Elise hissed, trying not to draw the young girl's attention, "Have you lost your mind?"

"He is not mad," Karthus insisted, "he is impassioned."

"I do not care how you describe his mania; he is a danger to Achlys. I would ask if you want her to die but I already know that answer."

"I do not wish for her to die now," Karthus interrupted.

"Then why are you putting her in danger?"

Thresh's words echoed through Karthus's mind.

"I do not wish to do this," he answered, "but it will be better if I tell him before he discovers her on his own. And if he is displeased, I can attempt to redirect his wrath towards me rather than her."

He saw her face twist in rage at his answer, her teeth elongating into fangs.

"Elise, please," he reasoned, "everything I do, I do for my daughter's safety."

"Then let me take her to Noxus."

"I cannot. Her magic is bound to the Isles. If she leaves before she knows how to fully control it, I do not know what will happen. One miscast spell, and any hope for the subtly you desire will be gone. The best we can do is keep her here and prepare her. Please, Elise, help me help her."

With a sound that was equal parts sigh and snarl, Elise's face relaxed, once more returning to the visage of a calm, alluring noblewoman.

"I do not want to see her come to any harm," she said, "so I will aid you, but know that I disapprove of this choice."

"I disapprove of my own choice."

"This is what we are going to do," Elise instructed, "After I depart, you will continue to have Achlys practice what I showed her today. When I next return, not only will I bring her a book on old Noxian etiquette, but I will also have instructions from one of my associates. You are fortunate that I know perhaps the one living soul who knows about the decorum of that dead kingdom. You will have her follow his instructions to the letter."

"I will follow them," Karthus promised.

"Ensure that you do. Now, let us return to Achlys. I refuse to have that specter haunt her celebration any further."

The little party continued on into the evening until the orange of the sunset peeked through the persistent veil of mist. Elise bent down, hugged Achlys closely, and promised to return with more gifts on her next visit. Achlys waved good-bye from the cathedral's doorway, not stopping until her aunt was out of sight.

"Did you enjoy your finding day?" Karthus asked.

"Yeah!" Achlys chirped, "I'm always happy to see Auntie."

"And do you believe you will be able to learn all these new manners?"

"I think so. I want to make you and Auntie proud, so I'll do my best."

"That is all I can ask for," he said as he smiled.

Karthus would have been content to let the day end there and for him and Achlys to watch the obscured sunset in peace, but there was still one last task to attend to. He didn't think his mood could sink back to the low that it had been during his conversation with Elise, but as he reached into the inner pocket of his robe and felt the chain of the necklace against his fingers, he was proved wrong.

"Achlys," he said, "I have one more gift for you."

"Really?"

Her eyes lit up with excitement as Karthus pulled out the dead woman's necklace. He handed it over to her without any of the flourish that Elise used when she gave Achlys a gift. The young girl took the gift and held the pendant up to the dying light, marveling at the soft color of the tinted glass.

"It's so pretty," she gasped.

"It's sea glass," Karthus explained, "We have found some on the beach before."

"Thank you, Father!"

Few things would have pleased Karthus more than to simply accept her thanks and say no more about the pendant but the sting of being called a deceiver twice still troubled his mind. He decided he would be honest with Achlys.

"You are welcome, Achlys," he said, "but the pendant did not come from me."

"Who did it come from?"

"Thresh."

"Oh."

Achlys ran her fingers over the smooth surface of the frosted glass. The pendant was pleasant to the touch and she had trouble imagining that such an intimidating specter as Thresh was able to find something as soft looking as this. Perhaps, she wondered, he wasn't as terrifying as she originally thought. Perhaps, he was another she could trust.

Greetings Summoners,

An update on updates. I've started a new job and it is far more time consuming. I should be able to continue to post updates to Deathsinger twice a month, but I do not think I will be able to any of these one chapter a week bonanzas anymore. That being said, you can still expect the promised 2 more chapters for spooky month, one next Wednesday, and one on Halloween. Thank you for your continued support. Feedback is always appreciated.

Best of luck on the Rift,

-Gwoo