Despite being waterlogged and cold, Light Magic was able to keep illness at bay until they finally stopped for the night. Thankfully, the inn– the Wandering Woman– had warm baths available, which allowed them to stop shivering and finally prevent the cold that had been threatening to form all day.
Ever since her proposal, Maria had been feeling lightheaded, and kept finding herself humming some tune or other. It drove back the rage and cold determination, and while it didn't make her more reasonable, it replaced the violent urges with… well, silly, vapid fluff.
Was this what the Third Prince felt like all the time? No wonder he was so obsessed with Katarina and the future of the nation looked so bleak.
After dinner, they all gathered in one of the inn rooms they'd rented to interrogate Larna Smith. With the rain still pounding down, they couldn't use the communication magic tool she'd used– it apparently needed moderately clear weather to function properly– so they interrogated her– politely– about what and why she'd been holding back. Maria and Miss Shelley hung back, as this was mostly Ministry business, letting Rafael do most of the talking.
Apparently, she'd been hoping that she could use this opportunity to once more raise her level at the Ministry by looking more competent and controlling the information the Ministry received. To her credit, she hadn't actually been discrediting Rafael, merely trying to position herself positively.
"You realize I'm actually going to fill out proper paperwork for all this, right?" Rafael said blandly. "I'm the department's vice-director, my reports supersede yours. You're not director anymore Larna, sending in 'creatively-edited' reports like that on your own authority isn't going to work, especially since I'll be reviewing your paperwork. You don't have any authority anymore…"
"Well… I thought… " Larna Smith muttered.
"No, you really didn't," Rafael said with a sigh. "Honestly, this demotion is really necessary. You're so used to acting on your own authority and letting results bolster your screw ups you've forgotten how to actually act like a Ministry official."
"Hey, I taught you everything I know about the Ministry!" Larna Smith said.
"Yes, and you have no idea how hard it was to unlearn it," Rafael said blandly. "Larna, answer me honestly: what do you really want out of being a Ministry official?"
"I want to study magic," Larna Smith said instantly. "The pursuit of magic is my life's goal! Ah, but I'm not the paledrake reborn or anything. I've been tested. To say I'm the paledrake would be wrong! I'm more of a Straid of Olaphis or a Big Hat Logan type. Maybe even a Duke Aldia."
"All of those are very scary people almost as bad as the plaedrake. And where do your retroactively-approved 'investigations' come into it?" Rafael said, still bland as water. "How does that further your pursuit of magic?"
Larna Smith shrugged. "It was what I did to be promoted enough to get my own department," she said.
"You realize all this spy nonsense is actually keeping you from being in the department to research magic, right?" Rafael said.
"Hey, not ALL of them are on my own authority!" Larna Smith protested. "Some of them are by the order of Minister higher-ups! I AM the disguise expert, after all. I did your disguise a bunch of times, remember?"
"Susanna Randall was better," Rafael said.
For some reason, Larna Smith smiled at that. "You're just saying that to be mean, but I have no problems being compared to Susanna Randall. The woman is awesome."
She… actually seemed to mean that. How strange. Maria would have thought she'd feel compelled to outshine the other woman.
Rafael sighed. "Okay, this is obviously a discussion for later, and we WILL have that discussion, Larna," Rafael said. "For now, you will NOT be making any more reports alone. All reports to the Ministry will be done in my presence and my input."
"Going to take the credit?" Larna Smith said, sounding half-joking.
"I'm going to take the blame," Rafael said. Larna Smith seemed surprised at this response. "Larna, you annoy me, give me headaches and indigestion and make me hate paperwork with a passion reserved for the Fume Knight of yore, but you took me in and protected me when I first joined the Ministry, and I'll always be grateful for that."
"You don't act like it," Larna Smith said.
"Yes, all those annoyances, headaches and foisting your paperwork off on me added up," Rafael said. "But I'm still grateful… deep down. And I really was sad for you when you got demoted. And I don't want you to get demoted again, or punished, or actually kicked of the Ministry. The few times you actually showed up, you were happy, and once you got through your probation you were still happy. You love the Ministry Larna, and I don't want to take that from you. But if you keep acting the way you are, you might lose it. So I'm going to do what a good vice-director does and shield my underlings from scrutiny if they make any tiny missteps, provided you actually take your position into account and act responsibly."
"Hey! I'm always responsible," Larna Smith protested.
"Yes, that's why you got demoted," Rafael said. "Now, try acting responsibly instead."
Maria and Miss Shelley both nodded in approval at this.
"Okay, fine," Larna Smith muttered.
"We'll talk about this more when we get back," Rafael said. "For now, just don't give Maria anything more to worry to about… and that doesn't mean lying to her and hiding it. That means telling me and I'll worry about it."
"Fine," Larna Smith said. "Far be it for me to keep you from looking like a responsible boyfriend."
"Larna… " Rafal said warningly.
Larna made a face, then sighed. "I mean… yes, vice-director."
Rafael nodded. "Now, get some sleep. That's an order. I'll wake you up when the rain clears, if it does."
Larna Smith blinked in surprise.
"What?" Rafael said. "You probably need more sleep after being up last night. So take it. I'll wake you when we can do the report."
"Okay… vice-director," Larna Smith said with a grin.
Maria exchanged a glance with Miss Shelley, and after a moment, the older woman nodded. "Then I will accompany you, Miss Smith," Miss Shelley said smoothly. "To share the room."
Larna Smith seemed to freeze in surprise, but Miss Shelley, used to Katarina Claes, was able to chivy her into moving. The door closed softly behind them as Miss Shelley was declaring which side of the bed would be hers.
Rafael sighed in relief a moment before two arms draped over his shoulders and the front of a coat with a vaguely feminine outline to it pressed against his back. "That," Maria said into his ear, "was very arousing to watch."
The lever to Rafael's secret elevator was pulled, and the platform started to rise. "Er, I'm glad you think so?"
For a moment, they just stood like that as the elevator reached the top and started going back down.
"Do you think my mother is all right?" Maria asked, voice small.
Silence filled only with the sound of rain.
"We both have Light Magic," Rafael said. "We'll make her all right."
Maria's hands tightening around him slightly. "Yes, you're right," Maria said, voice still small, clearly trying to stifle a sob.
Carefully, Rafael loosened her grip turned around and took him into his arms. They both listened to the sound of rain.
"What do you mean, Lady Claes has been kidnapped?" a concerned Rafael exclaimed as they sat on the slightly wet roof of the inn, using the communication magic tool.
Maria exchanged looks with Miss Shelley as Rafael and a concerned looking Larna listened to the report of how Katarina Claes had apparently disappeared from her home and wasn't in any of her friends' homes and hadn't been kidnapped by the Third Prince to force her to carry his blood dregs…
Miss Shelley coughed. "If I may…?" she said.
After explaining that Katarina and her mother had been planning to visit House Adeth in the Duchy of Hasard, Rafaela and Larna managed to calm down and make their report, which that nothing much was happening, the magic tool indicated the kidnapped person was staying stationary, and they probably weren't going to be able to count on backup because of all the resources diverted by this Katarina Claes kidnapping scare, were they?
"Um, I'm sure the princes will change their mind once they know Katarina Claes is safe?" the person speaking through the magic tool said.
Everyone on the rescue mission sighed.
"By the way vice-director, I thought you couldn't make the reports yourself because you were scared of heights?" the person speaking on the magic tool said.
Rafael glared at Larna Smith, who started whistling innocently.
"That was just Larna being Larna," he said evenly.
"Ah," the person said sympathetically. "Got it. Better you than me."
With all that done, they finally retired to their two rooms they rented to get a good night's sleep.
"Miss Shelley?" Larna Smith said as she lay in bed, only the slightest quaver in her voice.
"…"
"Is it just me or is Maria not sleeping here?"
"…" Anne raised her head slightly, and yes, Maria wasn't sitting asleep on the room's single chair or on the floor. "Ah. Puberty. Well, just be glad your vice-director is going to be in a good mood."
"Maria?"
"Yes, Rafael?"
"Why are in fully dressed?"
"To protect you."
"I… don't think anyone is going to attack us tonight…?"
"To protect you from me."
"Eh?"
"If I changed into my usual sleepwear, I would be hard-pressed to keep from ravishing you."
"Ah… Thank you?"
"You did ask for time to get over being engaged. Please tell me when you are over it so we can commence."
"I'll… be sure to tell you."
Silence filled the dark room.
"Maria?"
"Are you over it already?"
"No. It's just… I understand– I think– about the clothes, but…"
"But what, my betrothed?"
"Could you please take your weapons off? They're sort of poking me."
"You wish me to lay with you unarmed? How will I defend myself when you give in to lust and start ravishing me?"
"Now you're just messing with me. At least take off the hat!"
"Fine!"
There was grumbling and metallic sounds as at least one sword and several other armaments were removed, followed by a hat.
"Not even half a day engaged and we have already had our first disagreement," Maria said, still sounding miffed. "The romance wore thin quickly."
"… sorry."
"You are forgiven. Make-up ravishing?"
"Maria, I love you, but please go to sleep."
…
"I love you too, dearest Rafael."
Beneath the blankets, two hands sought each other and held on tight.