"Father. I have responses from our neighbors."

  Gregori gently pushed away the half-eaten dinner and gave full attention to his son. "Let's hear it then," he asked, noticing the two women of his immediate family also listening intently. "How have they responded to our requests for aid?"

  Teodor coughed and set down his utensils. "To provide necessary context, acting as your representative in my capacity as heir, I first politely inquired upon their local situations to set basic courtesy. Only after such sufficient pleasantries did I begin to hint at liking communique regarding the promised support so set by the empire's arrangement."

  "Basically, you need to suck up to them a little before getting to business," Vio mumbled, earning a pointed look from her brother. She ignored it and prodded at her nephew. "Come on then, Teo. What did they say back?"

  The young man's cheeks flushed at the childhood nickname and coughed loudly. "A-hem. I'm afraid they may be...misinterpreted our courtesies for interest."

  Petula frowned, instantly sobering from the brief moment of mirth. "That sounds bad."

  "Very poorly, at that," the duke gravely remarked. "Elaborate."

  "As it would turn out, our neighbors have been equally affected by the emperor's collapse during the winter court but in different ways. Where we had concern for Her Radiance, they instead saw...opportunity. Chance." Teodor's eyes shifted between his immediate family. "They think it a chance to take opportunity of a declining imperial court to work their own ambitions."

  Hisses escaped from everybody present at the table and even the servants on standby winced, understanding all too clear the implication. Only Gregori seemed to be the exception to all this, the vampire duke stone faced and thinking. "They wish to struggle against one another for land, power, riches. Whatever cause they wish," he intoned with a single sigh. "And they cite it likely as a reason for their lack of support. No matter. Our House has stood alone before, we shall do so again."

  "That is not all father," his son pushed, leaning forwards. "Again, I stress I may have...underestimated the meaning of my outreach. As they mistake it for interest in their affairs."

  The air in the room turned cold, glacial like the bitter winter that had just passed. "We do not," flatly told the duke. "Only our duty matters. I care not for their squabbling when the threat is at our doorstep."

  "But my lord," spoke the member of Magia in their midst, purposefully using respectful terms now in such a serious discussion. "Their squabbling is what is weakening us. Should we not perhaps at least express that we wish for these disagreements to end, so that we may better work together-"

  "To what end? As it has been shown, they mistake polite inquiry as direct interest. They see us moving when we do not," Gregori spat, a little heated. "This is why I have so strong distastes for these courts of nobles who play and not nothing- nothing of sacrifice. Of loss.

  "This indulgence is over, Teodor. Be blunt. Say that we have nothing to say in response."

  "Yes my lord."

  Mood thoroughly soured, the family dinner was over and the two older vampires excused themselves first. Teodor sat there for a moment longer, staring at his plain meal for a little while longer. Then he moved to get up, only to be stopped by Petula. "Sister?"

  "Brother, tell me. These neighbors. Are they strong?" she quietly questioned, keeping her voice low. "Were we to win the favor of one, would House Cordis become stronger than ever?"

  He hesitated, then reluctantly answered. "It...it would, but it would require involvement in their affairs. Something that father was right about- we cannot concern ourselves with matters that distract ourselves from duty-"

  "Is it not my duty then to be of use to House Cordis in some way?" Petula mentioned, lowering her head. "T-tell me. Are their heirs unwed-"

  He almost jerked viscerally at the implication. "Do not make me answer that sister! I will not sell my blood like some livestock to win favor. It is not right."

  "Brother-"

  "This discussion never happened. I'm going to my room now."

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  Mordred finished off the warm bowl of gruel and exhaled happily. "Ah, that did the spot. I love meat, but sometimes it gets old you know? It's nice to change things now and then."

  "Apologies for not having much food variety out there. I should look into perhaps addressing that," Kuch mentioned from where they sat on the plain wooden chair. "Did it taste good?"

  "Nah, it was pretty bad," the dragon mentioned with a chuckle. "More water than grain, I think. But it was nice and hot all the same. Filling too, even before you gave me your own serving."

  "Mmh. I'm guessing that the mercenaries who tried to rob us didn't get the same amenities."

  "Huh, what makes you think that?"

  The still armored oathbreaker stared, then gestured at the cots in their 'prison.' The fact that they were allowed to keep their gear too felt like the two were being more treated as guests than suspects. "I think we're getting something of a favorable treatment. I honestly expected something like just a cell with maybe a straw bed."

  "I mean, the filling is straw in these," Mordred pointed out and sat down on one of them. "It's a bit rougher and coarser than the hemp you used. And the sheets are a little thin."

  "More and more, it feels like they just don't have anybody who can make a half-decent thing among them," Kuch muttered. "Surely that cannot be the case. Surely I'm mistaken."

  The dragon was unusually silent for a moment before speaking up, stating the unusual loss of restraint she noticed. "You got really heated when they mentioned the gods today. What gives?"

  "It's...a personal matter for me. Do you know about them?"

  "Nope. I think mother did try to teach me, but I don't remember a single thing!" She chirped, scratching at an itch in her side. "Something about how the gods created and saved the world? Something like that?"

  "Hm, it sounds the same as the Ten Divines. So why involved the Ten Lights?" Kuch muttered, squeezing their knee in thought. "How and why do Lighthouse fit into all this? I have to know."

  "Then just ask tomorrow," she breezily replied. "We've got the favor of the guards, right? So maybe they'll know better than just some mercenaries."

  That was actually a rather sound suggestion. "I suppose we'll do so." Some tension finally left Kuch's form and finally they relaxed in the chair they sat upon. "Thank you. I guess I've been a little too hasty about all this, when I really shouldn't rush; I have time."

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  Mordred grinned and gave a thumbs up. "That's the spirit. Though I have to ask, don't think I've ever heard you this interested in something like this before. What's the matter?"

  Kuch was quiet for a long while before answering. "Think of it as something like your quest to find the crimson dragon and take his life. An obsession that I need to figure the truth about."

  "…All I needed to hear. I'm going to sleep now."

  "Good night. I'll keep watch as always."

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  I sighed, perplexed by both the day's events and Mordred's surprising intuition. I suppose there wasn't much reason for me to not tell her that I was a member of Lighthouse, but at the same time, I worried that maybe she wouldn't understand the full implications of that truth. She might not end up taking it seriously and let it slip, which would just lead to probably cascading headaches, which was my biggest worry. Then again, she was able to keep the fact she was actually a dragon walking around on two legs under wraps.

  So what was I really afraid of? That maybe she'd look at me a different way?

  It was a tough decision to make. And probably something that all of me should be present to explain at our manor. Maybe I could even take out and show some of the former glories won by Mikel in the day as proof. She might not recognize it, but the a relic shard of a sword from the elder dragons might stir something deep down, like the ancestral tongue had.

  Though I was lost in thought, my senses were so much more finely honed in this new body compared to the old terracotta one. So when I heard the briefest splash in the swamp, I froze, then studied the water intently. Illuminated by one of the moons above, I think I saw something moving in them-

  There! Ah, a fish!

  It made sense there there would be some that made the swamp their habitat. I guess I missed them before. Hm, while I didn't need food, Mordred's complaints about the lack of food variety did nag at me slightly. And hadn't I also lamented the lack of variety when considering my options for hospitality during winter?

  I think it was also a good chance for me to test this body's version of skills. So I set down the gathering basket, slipped off my shoes, and began to wade into the swamp. This close to the land is was pretty shallow, maybe reaching about to my knees. Glad, I was, to have chosen shorts for this trip out.

  Now to be still, like a statue. An hour could pass but there would never be a single twitch or ripple from me standing in the water. Gradually, the fish swimming about became accustomed and swam perfectly unbothered next to my feet, unaware that I had been waiting for this moment.

  "[Crane Stance]."

  My limbs became flooded with energy from my earth crystal core and suddenly became a blur. The poor swimmers were given no time to react as my legs and arms plucked them from their habitat and tossed them onto shore, where they flopped around helplessly. Only those furthest away realized something was off in time and swiftly fled, escaping into the deeper waters that I would have to submerge myself to catch.

  That was fine, I'd still managed to catch a fine haul anyway. I trudged back up to more solid land, eyeing the feebly twitching fish, and smiled. They went into the gathering basket and with that in one hand, my shoes in the other, I walked barefoot back to my manor.

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  The duke's older sister liked to study late into the night, in hopes that perhaps one day she could finally meet whatever standards the masters of Magia held to advance her rank. But even she knew when enough was enough, closing the loaned textbook and putting it away in her lockbox. Just as she was about to finally blow out the candles and turn in for the night, there was a knock at her chamber doors. Curious at who it could be, she opened it to see her niece standing there. "Oh, Petula. A bit late, isn't it?"

  "I know, and I apologize. But I-" She hesitated, like she was unsure, before hastily saying, "I'd like to ask you mother about my mother."

  Even despite some suspicions, like the time of night and the clearly improvised cover, the topic was enough to make the aunt soften a fair bit. She knew she spoiled her brother's children far too much, but she had none to spoil herself. And when the duke's wife had died in childbirth, she had basically taken over as a mother figure for them.

  It was the least she could do for a woman who she had considered the closest thing she had to a sister in all but blood.

  "Very well, come in then. I suppose we could indulge in a bit of a girl's talk." Some of that tiredness vanished from Vio at the prospect of the talk and she gestured for them to seat themselves on the bed. It was firm enough to be like a chair. "Now then, what would you like to ask about?'

  "She came from the northern regions of the empire right? The same as your husband?"

  "Oh yes, she had been part of that same caravan from the north that had heard of the great need for grain in the west, and so made a grand trip over. More than a few young nobles had seen that as their great journey for maturity- and more than a few commoners had become nobles from the riches of it." The older woman laughed and rubbed her fingers together as if it were coin. "Of course, that had been when the empire was more stable, more peaceful. These days, unfortunately Her Radiance hasn't the...spryness required to maintain such balance."

  "So the caravans of plenty stopped," Petula murmured, saddened. "And now, we import directly from our neighbors at a high price they know we cannot contest."

  "Your mother unfortunately had always been the more approachable one in the duchy for negotiations, and her family could also always threaten to undercut any underhanded attempts. When she died, we lost a great woman, and a great asset."

  "Could you tell me more about how she managed to, erm, romance father?"

  The acolyte couldn't help it and cackled. "Dear niece, she wasn't so gentle! She seduced him and he couldn't look away from her!"

  "Aunt Vio, please-!" Petula shrieked but there was no stopping her family.

  "Oho, I suppose you're at the age where you should know! Of course it was love at first sight but both beat around the bush far too long. My future husband and I had been so amused by their antics, to the point where we'd set up a betting pool on how long it'd take for them to finally understand…"

  So engrossed she was in these memories, the older woman didn't notice the way her niece asked those leading questions on matters of courtship etiquette and noble romance tips.

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