Rose took my hand and led me down the ramp. I was still a bit shaky, but feeling considerably better to be out of the airship and on solid ground once again. By the time we made it into the port's main concourse, I was feeling reasonably hale again.
I blinked in confusion, which Rose caught.
“I told you,” she said.
The sea of people that filled the concourse, moving from place to place, seemed to be… oddly empty, as if there was some fundamental part of them missing. I stared at them, at the sheer variety of colors and faces, and realized I could see no manashards. Nor could I feel the presence of strong magic.
“There are no mages here,” I blurted, as if it was the strangest thing.
“Oh, there's probably some people out there with an undeveloped Aspect, but for the most part, you're right.”
“I can barely even sense the ley lines here.” I closed my eyes and reached down with my senses, though not literally beneath the ground, for the conduits that carried aetheric energies did not exist in physical reality. “They're so thin, and buried so deeply.”
“That's right. Will it affect your abilities?”
I shook my head. “No… the distance won't hinder me.”
“Must be nice,” Rose grunted. “Being back home is like… it was so easy at the Academy, and even in Naara or at your mom's place. Here, it takes a lot more effort.”
I must've looked worried, because Rose offered a reassuring smile.
“It won't matter. The state of the ley lines affects everyone the same way, so even if I have to work twice as hard, so does everyone else.” Except you, she didn't say. For once, my mixed heritage wasn't a curse. She kissed my forehead lightly and tapped the tip of my nose. “Don't worry so much, little red lily.”
“What did you say?”
Rose blinked. “I said it won't matter since—”
“No, I mean, what did you call me?”
“Oh.” She looked faintly alarmed. “Your mom called you 'little red lily' and it seemed to make you happy, so I thought—should I not do that? Is it something that's just between you and—mmph!”
Apparently, kissing Rose was a good way to make her stop apologizing when no apology was necessary. I drew back after lingering for just a moment, not wishing to be any more indecent than that in the middle of this very public place.
“I guess that means it's okay,” Rose managed after she recovered a moment later.
“Very okay,” I agreed.
She reached out and fluffed my red hair. “I can see where the name comes from.”
“My mother's favorite flower, lycoris radiata. The red spider lily. You recall how many of them were blooming in her garden?”
“I remember.”
“She once told me that the Easterners had their own name for it: higanbana. The blossom of death, guiding souls freed from their mortal shells into the afterlife.” I smiled despite the rather sinister symbolism. “When she found out, she was mortified, but I thought it was beautiful. It turned out to be… apt, considering what I am.”
Rose frowned. “The color of your magic doesn't determine your—”
“I know. The Church, and my people, believe otherwise, however. Death is not evil, but a natural part of life. All that lives must eventually die.” My expression became distant as I considered the words that came to mind. “Their obsessive search for immortality through magic will cause great suffering.”
“You say that like… like you know.”
I shivered. “It's already caused suffering, but I get the feeling that things are going to get worse before they get better.”
*
Despite the crush of people crammed into every corner and corridor of Fialla's largest and busiest shipping port, Rose was able to navigate through the dizzyingly complex structure and get us outside at the correct loading zone to find the car her family sent for us.
There were so many cars, as well. I'd never seen so many vehicles. So much travel in the Empire was facilitated by magic that most of the streets in cities, even those as large as Naara or as important as Solaris or the Citadel, were designed for foot traffic and public rail. Most people with even a modest magical talent could conjure a conveyance with wind mana. It was such a simple spell, and so commonly used, that it was rare to see any Solarian traveling between nearby towns without taking to the air. In Fialla, cars and other, larger vehicles, were everywhere. Unlike the occasional powered vehicle in Solaria, these all appeared to run on that smelly flammable liquid that had made this aether-poor nation wealthy beyond compare.
This country was so different. The shipping port itself was the size of a small city and sat on the edge of a gargantuan sprawling metropolis. I could see dozens upon dozens of tall buildings, spires of concrete, granite and glass that soared high into the sky. They were packed so closely together that it lent the city the appearance of a monstrous artificial forest. The smells were incredible, as well—and not necessarily in a good way. The dominant scent was that awful fuel; fortunately, it smelled of nothing after it was burned, but that didn't help to keep that sickly-sweet chemical scent from irritating my sinuses.
“It's only this strong near the port,” Rose said, apparently catching onto the fact that I was wrinkling my nose in disgust. “You're catching so much of it because we happened to land right in the middle of a half-dozen refueling cycles.”
A car pulled up to the edge of the curb we stood upon, and Rose straightened up, waving wildly at the driver to catch their attention. The car stopped its slow roll, and one of the rear doors opened automatically.
“Your family's car?” I guessed.
“Yeah, they sent one of their drivers to pick us up. Come on, get in.”
I slid into the back of the vehicle, followed by Rose. The door sealed itself after she'd settled into her seat, and the driver glanced back from his position behind the steering column. “Welcome home, Miss Rose. And welcome, too, honored guest Lily Alcyone.”
It wasn't possible to bow in the back of the car, but I remembered that Fiallans didn't bow and so I nodded to him politely. “Thank you.”
“Your father wishes to speak with you once we arrive at the manor,” the driver said to Rose.
“Of course he does. I'm supposed to be on break. Is this about business?”
“Since when is anything not business where he is concerned?”
Rose let out a snort of unamused laughter. “You get me, Devon.”
“Indeed, Miss Rose.”
The car accelerated, pushing me back into my seat. I was a little surprised at how aggressively the driver, Devon, was maneuvering his vehicle, but I suspected Rose's presence had something to do with that. The two of them appeared to be friends outside of their respective roles within the larger Merope trading organization.
As a result of Devon's enthusiastic efforts, we reached our destination in less than twenty minutes. I wasn't able to open the door to my side of the car before Devon had already opened it for me, offering a gallant gesture with a rough, callused hand. I detected more than a little irony in the formality of his movements and wondered if this was some private joke between Devon and Rose.
“I won't forgive you if you try to charm my girlfriend away from me, Devon,” Rose quipped, and yet again my cheeks grew hot. I avoided their eyes and calmly accepted the gentle teasing.
Devon laughed. “As if any woman, even one as lovely as Miss Alcyone, could draw my eyes.”
“I've seen rainbows arc straighter than you, Devon.”
“I could say the same of you, Miss Rose.”
“Don't let my father hear you say that,” Rose muttered in a bone-dry tone. “Every so often I catch him wishing against wishes and stars that I'll give him grandchildren someday.”
“Give him time. He will accept the woman his little girl has become. Perhaps Miss Alcyone's visit will accelerate this process.”
Rose shrugged. “Maybe. I hope so, anyway.”
“He will come around. After all
, I've known your father for longer than you've been alive.” Devon tipped his short-brimmed hat and smiled at me. “Alas, I have much to do today, so I must take my leave. Good evening, young misses.”
Devon returned to his vehicle and drove away, this time much more sedately than when Rose and I had been his passengers. I turned to Rose and looked up at her, unsure of what to do next. Neither of us had much in the way of personal effects, save for our usual small satchels. The unexpected early departure from House Alcyone meant we hadn't the time to return to the Academy and pack. I had no changes of clothing, and only one spare pair of undergarments and an Eastern style sarashi wrap stuffed at the bottom of my bag.
Rose, of course, assured me it wouldn't be a problem.
“Come on, let's go talk to my dad and get it over with.”
“Should I be with you?” I asked.
“Absolutely. If you're with me, he wont go on for hours about Merope business garbage.” Rose smirked and snaked a hand around to squeeze my backside in such a way that pulled a soft squeak from my lips. “You don't have to say anything outside of the basic greeting. Just nestle in close to me, give me adoring looks and be as cute as possible. Dad will figure it out.”
I chose not to respond to her teasing. “Does he know I'm with you?” I asked after a moment
“Yeah, I told him, but he's not going to really 'get' it until he meets you.”
I didn't respond to that as Rose led me through the atrium of her family's manor. It was a huge, ornate structure, the kind of building that screamed wealth and luxury. While House Alcyone likely contained far more raw value in the form of rare arcane items and artifacts, House Merope just oozed the sort of obvious hallmarks of nobility that Rose had expected from Mother's home.
“How many bedrooms does this manor have?”
“I don't know, like twenty or something?” Rose shrugged. “I don't actually live here when I'm at home. I have a private apartment closer to the downtown area. We're just here to talk to Dad, who will probably try to feed us a ridiculous lunch which I'll have to talk him out of.”
I must've looked extremely relieved to hear that we would not be staying in this manor crawling with dozens of servants and Merope relatives, because Rose gave me a look that could only be described as “coquettish.”
“You thought we were going to stay here?”
“Y-yes.”
“The hells with that.” Rose chortled and jerked a thumb toward the door at the end of the corridor. “If we did that you'd never see me, Dad would be sending me all over the damn city to meet with his suppliers and permit clerks and proctors and gods-only-know who else.”
“Your father sounds very… dedicated,” I hedged.
“He's a fucking workaholic. At least he doesn't think every other Merope should be just as addicted to the job as he is.” She sighed heavily and walked up to the door, pressing the button mounted in the doorframe. “Come on, let's fend Dad off and then we can get out of here.”
Chapter 16
Acceptance
The door opened into what appeared to be a combination private parlor and office. I felt instantly uncomfortable, because the man sitting behind the desk was obviously Rose's father. He was dressed impeccably in a suit that accentuated his height, broad shoulders and wasp-waist. Though he had to be at least thrice as old as Rose, he looked far younger.
“Hi Dad,” Rose said by way of greeting.
The Merope patriarch grunted. “Is this the one you were telling me about?”
“Greetings,” I introduced myself. “I'm Lily Alcyone.”
Rose's father stood up from his desk and strode over to me. He was so tall, and I was forced to tilt my head back to look up into his eyes. I'd thought Rose to be statuesque, but her father had to have been two meters in height, if not more.
He stuck his hand out for a wrist-clasp, and I recalled the Fiallan greeting. His huge, dark hands could have wrapped around my wrist twice. My small fingers could not hope to close around his hand, but I managed, and he didn't seem to mind.
“Cassius Merope. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Alcyone.”
“L-Lily is fine,” I mumbled. “I do not have any standing among House Alcyone.”
“Not surprised they don't like you. Your family's people are a noble pain in the ass, and I mean that in the most insulting way possible. Use your imagination to fill in the blanks.”
I was too surprised to suppress my laughter.
“Dad, don't embarrass her,” Rose chided.
“I'm not embarrassing her. I'm sure she knows better than we do that the Empire is full of a bunch of racist shitbags.” Cassius Merope grinned, the same sort of worrisome expression that I'd seen on Rose's face so often, and it was even more clear how much of her father's spirit she had inherited. “You've got miinari heritage? Fuck. No wonder they treat you like shit.”
I stiffened, unsure of how to respond, and Rose started to laugh. “That is the opposite of 'not embarrassing her,' Dad.”
“That won't cause you any issue here in Fialla,” Cassius assured me, ignoring Rose's cheeky objections. “We don't let a thrice-damned Church make the laws. In this nation, the People do.”
He said nothing more, but I knew from the way he stressed the word that he was referring to all sapient beings and not simply humans. It aligned with what I knew of this country, what Rose had told me and what truth I'd picked out of the various bits of rumors and gossip I'd heard at the Academy.
“I'm gratified to hear that, Lord Merope.”
“If you don't want me to call you 'Lady,' then don't call me 'Lord,'” Cassius rumbled. “Cassius is fine, Councilor Merope if you want to be formal.”
Rose rolled her eyes. “Don't call him that, either. It goes to his head.”
“O-okay—”
There was a sudden chime as Cassius's desk phone rang. He glared at it balefully and held up a hand for quiet. A button press and a handful of terse words to his receptionist later, and the interruption was dismissed.
“Sorry about that, but I'm a busy man,” the Merope patriarch said. “I can only keep the wolves at bay for so long. So you're dating my daughter, then, Lily?”
I somehow managed not to let my jaw hit the floor, instead just nodding. Cassius's face crinkled up in concentration as he regarded me critically. His gaze traveled over my body, but the examination did not feel uncomfortable in the slightest. He was gauging my stance, the way I held myself and how I reacted to his scrutiny. So I did my best to respond confidently.
“I am.”
Cassius looked pensive and remained silent in his consideration. Then he turned to look at Rose, his expression shifting subtly. “I like her.”
“Oh?” Rose arched a white eyebrow.
“She's… strong.”
“You can feel that, then?”
That time I did gasp. “Y-you're a mage?”
Cassius shook his head. “Hardly, but I've dabbled in the past. Unfortunately, I was never able to manage much beyond the simplest of spells, but I can still sense magic. Your soul burns so fiercely, it's a bit hard to miss.”
He gazed past me, back to his daughter. “You're going to have to keep her safe, Rose.”
“I know.”
“I understand you were given an invitation before you came here,” Cassius continued, his tone dropping and his words becoming more cautious. “I was informed that the arrangements were already made. All you have to do is meet with their agent. I'll cover the cost.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Rose looked as if a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. Her relief was plain on her face. “I know Lily and I haven't been together very long… but I don't know what I'd do if something happened to her.”
I could not even begin to formulate a response to such a blatant declaration, but apparently Cassius understood his daughter's feelings, because he nodded solemnly and brushed a finger across the thick gold band he wore.
“Time doesn't always move at the same speed for everyone
.”
*
Rose was uncharacteristically silent on the trip to her apartment.
“Are you okay?”
She blinked and shrugged. “More or less.”
“You don't look okay.”
There was a long pause, then a sigh. “I'm not okay. I'm scared.”
“Because of what your father said? About needing to keep me safe?”
“That, and what he didn't say,” she replied without looking at me. Rose seemed to be a natural behind the controls of her car, even more adept at sending the little vehicle careening down the busy streets of the big city than the driver Devon. “The people at the Academy, your family's people, they don't get how it works in Fialla. They think my family's low-class, that we're just money-grubbing merchants, dishonest and conniving profiteers, but the Merope family is influential. We're pretty involved in Fiallan politics.”
“I don't understand.”
“Solaria is ruled by the Empress, along with the Imperial Council, highborn Heads of Household chosen from the most noble and powerful mage families, right?”
I nodded. It was a little more complicated than that, but not by much. The Empire was technically a monarchy, but it functioned more like an oligarchy, for the Imperial Court normally held a considerable amount of influence and was granted veto power over royal decrees. The Royal Family, House Altair, was also heavily invested in the Church of the Celestial Prophecy. In recent years the Church itself had begun to assume an increasing amount of authority over the governing of the Empire.
The current state of affairs meant that Solaria's throne held much more power than it had in a very long time. Rose's abbreviated understanding was perhaps more true than she realized.
“In Fialla, our rulers are chosen by the People,” Rose continued. “Representatives are taken from every stratum of society, and they are required to serve as recompense to the nation that gave them life. It's a responsibility that everyone takes very seriously, my father included.” Her eyes remained on the road, and she canted the wheel slightly to pass a particularly slow-moving freight vehicle.
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