The next morning, as they sat down for breakfast, someone knocked at the front door. David went to answer, and came back with two surprise visitors.
Niala's eyes widened, followed by a smile, as her sister and David's brother stepped into the dining room. “Angeline! What are you doing here?!” She exclaimed, jumping to her feet and stepping around the table to hug her.
The tall woman flowed into Niala's hug with grace. “Sister! It's so good to see you! The town guards let us know you'd returned this morning, so we came straight away.” She pointed at Isaac with her head. “As soon as my assistant was ready to come out of his room, anyway. People like to joke that women take a long time to get ready, but they clearly haven't had to deal with noble men.”
Isaac glared at the woman. “Would you have me step out in public with frazzled hair and wrinkled clothes, woman?! We of the ruling class must lead by example! Always be proper, always dress as if you were meeting someone important, never be caught off-guard.”
Angeline smirked back. “Never caught off-guard, except when it's six in the morning, and your lovely manager is knocking at your door. I must admit, your frazzled hair actually suits you. I shall count myself lucky to be one of the few to have beheld them.”
Isaac's mouth opened mechanically, appeared to want to say something, before deciding it wasn't worth it and snapped shut. He humphed and angled himself so he didn't have to look at the woman, even though he kept furtively glancing at her.
Angeline winked at Niala. “So, yes. Our dear father asked me to come help oversee his investment in this lovely little town. I was straddled with this man as my assistant, although I must admit he'd proven quite capable and devoted to the task. I'm sure you've seen the result of our handiwork all over, haven't you?”
Niala closed her hanging mouth, looking at the two visitors in turn, then at David, who simply shrugged. “I... yes, on our way back last night. This is, huh, a lot of construction. Good job? If you came here straight away, did you skip breakfast? Do you want to join us?”
Angeline's mouth curved upwards. “Oh, I was hoping you'd offer! Sister, don't let our house cook, Ms. Stratella, know, but of all the things I've missed from you being gone, your cooking is in the top two.” She said, looking around the kitchen. “Do you need help with making seconds?”
Niala shook her head. “No, no, sit down, you and Isaac. I'll whip up two more plates in a few minutes. It's just eggs with veggies and some cheese and toasts.” She explained, letting go of Angeline and stepping over to the kitchen.
Wordlessly, David gave a few pats on his brother's shoulder and joined Niala, getting out the cutting board and getting started on the vegetables while his wife cracked some eggs in a pan.
Additional breakfasts were soon ready and served. Over the food, Angeline and Isaac answered questions about the exact nature of the construction being done in town.
Both were surprised by the scope of them. From their meeting with Caleb before their expedition north, they only remembered hearing about road and rail work, a small airport, and some renovation to existing city infrastructure.
Now, it seemed as if the entire town was being re-zoned and re-built.
Angeline chuckled. “You have our dear Isaac to thank for it. He no sooner put his eyes on the proposed plans that he was ripping everything up and replacing them with...” She turned her head toward the man. “What was it you said? Actual long-term solutions, not short-sighted compromises?”
She received a grunt in acknowledgement, which only made a corner of her mouth tug up as she returned her attention to her sister. “Something like that. He then went on to say that, if new infrastructure was to be built, we might as well make certain the local road network could make use of it efficiently. Then, if the local roads were to be renovated, it would make sense to reorganize the districts, and then to future-proof the city's grid to take into account new development.”
She sighed. “Right now, he's working on a new industrial district to go with the deep-water port he says the mouth of the south sister river can support, including road and rail linkage with Riverwall.”
Isaac squinted at Angeline. “To survey the land and draw up proposals is not a waste of time.”
She rolled her eyes, though they were underlined by a smile. “My dear Isaac, I was only expressing my unending amazement at your dedication.” She said, smirking. “Why, it's almost as if you were actually enjoying urban planning.”
“I am merely using my superior education and critical thinking to correct the mistakes of those cowed architects! I was appointed by my father to oversee our family investment in this town! This is the very least I should be doing!” He said with heat rising to his cheeks.
Only for that heat to drain instantly when he noticed how Angeline was staring at him, with a smile that could mean a dozen different things. His first guess was that she had, once again, laid down rabbit snares, and he had, once again gone and charged straight at them.
He worked his jaw and leaned over his plate in a huff, shoving a spoonful of eggs into his mouth.
Niala remained still, with only her eyes moving from one guest to the other, landing on her sister. “You two seem to... get along well?”
“Oh, wonderfully so!” Angeline said, while Isaac choked on his eggs.
As heads turned his way, he made a sign with his hand that he was fine, grabbing his cup of water with his other hand and draining it. He coughed a few times, but said nothing, and kept eating.
A smile replaced the concern on Angeline's face as she turned back toward her sister and her husband. “So, sister, brother-in-law, your adventure to the north, how did it go? What even was it for?”
David and Niala shared a look. She turned her head back at Angeline. “Before we tell you, there's someone you need to meet.”
Golems had been a near-constant in Rinka's life. They were a pervasive element of the Luminous Reign, existing in every social strata, always there, in the background. She had never given them a second thought. They were an old technology, proven and reliable, and dealing with core deviancy was as routine as brushing your teeth.
Which is why, when she had been quickened, she hadn't thought, at all, about what going without maintenance for a few thousand years could do to a golem or a consciousness. To her, they were the same industrious artificial workers she had always known and relied upon.
Except, they weren't. Their cores had deviated to dangerous levels, enough to allow them to easily bypass their innate limitations, such as not acting in anger. Every child learned in school that any artificial construct or consciousness with a core stability lower than 90% were to be avoided, isolated, and reported.
Unit 67 was in the low 30's.
She had ordered it to stay guard outside and to not come anywhere near her while she slept.
It was currently parked right by her bed, bent forward, with its face a few centimetres above her. Its two eyes were slowly drifting apart. She knew, because she'd been staring wordlessly at it for the past hour.
She didn't dare move, speak, or breathe too hard. She hoped someone would show up, because she really had to go to the toilet.
Just then, someone knocked at the door. To her dismay, #67 didn't move or react.
Niala's voice filtered through the door. “Rinka? Are you awake? We'd like you to meet some guests.”
A pause.
“Rinka, are you ok?”
Another pause. Silence for a while, then some indistinct murmurs.
“Rinka, I'm coming in, ok?”
Blessed kin, please, YES!
The door creaked open on the catkin, her brows rising in surprise as she spotted #67 hovering over her guest.
“67? What are you doing here? I heard Rinka ask you to stay outside last night.” She asked.
The golem finally moved, straightening up like a rod, its eye rings swivelling so it looked behind him at Niala. “She hasn't laid any eggs yet, boss. Little Timmy is going to go hungry again.”
Her ears twitched as she angled her head. “We, huh, got eggs downstairs?”
#67 eyes flashed. It spun around and threw its arms up. “Why didn't anybody- tell me the truth- let me know!” It exclaimed, walking away and around Niala, outside of the room and, presumably, downstairs to the kitchen.
The catkin watched the weird golem go past before returning her attention to her guest. “Are you-”
Rinka didn't let her finish, throwing herself out of the bed and bolting for the bathroom.
Niala blinked. A few seconds later, she heard David argue with #67 about eggs downstairs.
They ended up giving #67 a rock and instructing it to guard it, for it was actually the egg of a granite chicken, a very rare species. The egg had to be buried near a large rock, with someone standing guard, or else a rock-eater would come dig it up and eat it. It marched out of the house, hopefully for a few bells at the very least.
They then introduced Rinka to Angeline and Isaac, revealing to them who she was and where she'd come from.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Angeline expressed her sympathies to the woman for everything she had left behind, while Isaac showed great interest in her story and in learning the secrets of the Luminous Reign; an advanced nation would surely have incredible technologies.
They let their guests chit-chat while they cooked up and served another breakfast for Rinka. With that done, they moved on to the topic at hand and why they wanted the woman present.
David recounted their meeting with Caleb and summarized the mayor's plan about staking a claim on the Living Vault as a scion of the Luminous Reign.
Neither of their guest seemed much surprised, which was not all that surprising in turn, given who they were. He guessed they had heard something through the branches, which told David that Caleb's plan had not entirely originated from him.
Again, not surprising.
Isaac leaned forward, resting his arms on the table and clasping his hands together. “What I would like to know, brother, is why you even entertained the idea. You ran away from such responsibilities-” He held a hand up. “I know, you still wanted to help, but it doesn't change the fact that you clearly do not yearn for this kind of life.”
Angeline glanced at Isaac before arresting her attention on Niala. “I would say the same for you, sister, but in your case, I know it's because you want to help the people living in the vault, isn't it?” She asked with a warm smile.
Niala's ears flopped down as she looked at the table, throwing David a quick glance. “Well, it's true. I think they've suffered enough. They don't need greedy nobles and merchants coming to steal their land.”
Isaac huffed. “Steal their lands? Their land is literally a nightmare garden, with man-eating monsters sprouting every night. I say, good thing anyone even wants it enough to offer them a way out.”
Niala's eyes snapped up to the young noble. Her mouth opened to argue, but Angeline cut her off. “My dear Isaac, again I am reminded that you are an oddity.” She said, sighing.
He frowned at her. “An oddity!? What are you on about, woman?”
“Oh, don't raise your hackles, I mean it in the most benevolent of terms.” She replied, narrowing her eyes at him over a devious smile. “Tell me, if you were in charge of acquiring this new source of mana crystal, you would find these people a new home, make sure they had a chance at a productive life, wouldn't you?”
Isaac looked at her as if she'd sprouted a third eye. “What? Of course I would. That is both the honourable, and the productive, thing to do. In exchange for saving them from their miserable lives as rats hiding in those tunnels, we get the mana crystals. They can be relocated somewhere, maybe even here in Riverwall, as labourers, taught our language, and become good-standing members of the kingdom. Anyone would.... oh.”
Angeline gave him a sad smile. “Exactly, oh.” She turned her head back toward Niala. “So, you want to help them and become a princess. Anything else? It feels as if there's something else.”
Niala blushed. “Prin-princess? I didn't say anything about becoming a princess!” She denied.
Angeline smiled in reply.
Niala shook her head. “It's not about being a princess!”
The smile didn't leave Angeline's face.
“I swear! That's just... It's just a side effect!”
Angeline's smile grew a bit wider.
Niala glared back at her sister's smile. The battle was fierce, but the result was inevitable. She averted her gaze. “...it really isn't the main reason...”
Her sister's smile turned triumphant.
Isaac looked away from the sisters and to David. “What about you, brother? Don't tell me you're doing this because you want a royal title.”
David raised an eyebrow. “What if I do?”
Isaac stared back.
His brother shrugged. “Fine. I don't. That doesn't mean I'm going to tell you why. You'll just have to accept that I have another reason for wanting to do this.”
The young noble narrowed his eyes at David before leaning back in his chair and sighing. “I had hoped you'd trust me more, brother.”
David grimaced. “It's not about trust. I just don't want to burden you with this. Please.”
Isaac let his gaze linger on his brother some more, eventually throwing a hand. “Fine. Tell me once you feel the burden will be light enough. That said, if you truly wish to claim part of the Ruinlands without an army at your back to bring Amberfall to the table, this means you intend to petition the crown, don't you?”
David nodded. “Don't have much of a choice. According to Caleb, the royal family would be interested in backing our claim, giving them control over the Living Vault and its mana crystals through an act of fealty from our newly-formed nation.”
Angeline tapped at one of her cheeks. “Hmm, interesting, and devious, using the nobles' own rules against them. I like it a lot.” She said, smiling. “And, I've always wanted to meet the royal family!”
Isaac coughed and turned his head toward the woman. “What in the bloodied pits are you on about again?!”
She faked surprise. “But, Isaac, dear, my own lovely sister is going to petition the crown for them to offer her a kingdom! How could I not go! She will need a negotiator!”
Isaac's eyes widened. “A nego- You intend to negotiate with the crown?! You?!”
Her eyelids fluttered. “Why, of course I do, and I intend to negotiate the best little kingdom for my lovely sister!” She replied, turning toward Niala and David before Isaac could say another word. “Now, we must decide: what will your new dynasty be called?”
Niala blinked. “Dynasty? You mean, our family name?” Her ears perked up. “As in a royal name?! My princess na-” She clamped a hand over her mouth.
Angeline's smile reached her eyes. “Oh yes, your princess name!” She said, pleased, before looking up and putting a finger to her mouth. “Let's see... Wardenfel and All brew. Warden-Brew? Passable. Fel-Brew is out of the question, as is All Fel. All-Warden? The protectors of all?”
She looked back down at Niala. “That sounds honourable and chivalrous, doesn't it? Allwarden?”
Niala frowned. “I feel like I heard that name before...”
Rinka cleared her throat, catching everyone's attention. “That's... because my family name is Alwardn.”
The catkin smiled and snapped her fingers. “Oh, yeah! You introduced yourself like that!”
Isaac looked at his brother, then at Rinka. “Are you of noble blood?”
The woman shook her head. “No, no, at all. Everyone in the Luminous Reign had a family name.”
“But then, how did you know who was of noble blood?”
She blinked at Isaac. “We... didn't care? Nobility didn't really mean anything beyond just coming from an old family. Being rich, famous, or both is what got you social clout. Huh, I guess being a noble and rich and famous made you a little bit extra special...”
The young noble quirked an eyebrow and whispered. “What a backward society...”
Angeline had her head tilted as she observed Rinka. “Even if you weren't a noble, was your family recognized? Did it hold any illustrious position or office?”
“Nothing like that. I mean, being a Magister isn't nothing, even if most people knew next to nothing about the job.” She said, snorting. “I had four... I mean, when I was stilled, I had a brother and sister who'd joined the military, but that wasn't uncommon in the final days of the reign.” She said, her shoulders slumping slightly.
Niala wordlessly went and filled a cup with fruit water, passing it to the woman, who smiled in thanks.
Isaac looked at Angeline. “Why did you ask? What mad scheme do you have running in your insidious head this time?!”
She put a hand over her collarbone. “Oh, my, Lord Isaac, do you hold me in such poor regard? I am shocked and appalled!”
He squinted. “Someone does not smile when they are shocked and appalled. Out with it, devil-woman.”
Angeline smirked, letting her eyes linger over the man just a bit longer before turning to look at Rinka. “I was just thinking, wouldn't it be incredibly fortuitous if we had a living representative from the ancient empire we are trying to lay a claim to? Someone who would have a truly valid claim?”
Rinka snorted. “If any of my family and their lineage survived to this day, because of the root square law, I could be the great-grand-aunt to ninety percent of this kingdom.”
Angeline leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands, over the table. “Oh, realllly?”
Niala's ears twitched. “Why... Angie, are you... Are you thinking Rinka could be somehow distantly related to nobles?” She shook her head. “No, you are, but it's... how would you even prove that? It's from so long ago.”
The tall woman smiled and angled her head to look at her assistant. “My dear Isaac, do you want to answer that?”
He eyed her suspiciously, only getting a coy smile in return, before sighing and turning his head toward Niala. “Mana signature resonance.”
She blinked, the tip of her tail swishing. “What's that?”
“It's... a tool. Something nobles use on certain occasions.”
Angeline rolled her eyes. “So evasive! Sister, it's a closely-guarded secret by the nobles, something they use behind closed doors. It's a process through which bloodlines can be identified, with a reasonably high degree of accuracy.”
Niala tilted her head. “Why is it a secret? It sounds useful! You could figure out if you have long-lost... ah. It could be used to find bastards.”
Angeline smiled. “Exactly. Given how adventurous nobles tend to be, we're most likely all related to one house or another. It wouldn't do to figure out that every single farmer has some blue blood in them. Think of the social collapse that would ensue if noble blood was found not to be that exclusive.”
Isaac eyed daggers at the woman as she spoke, turning his head toward Niala once she was done. “As your sister said. It can identify blood ties through a resonance within the mana signature of people. The process requires three people, at a minimum. The more participants, the more accurate the result will be.”
Niala nodded in understanding. “But you need to have an idea of who to test with, right? You can't just go around testing everyone, and if we're all somehow linked to the noble houses, we'd get a lot of positives, anyway.”
Isaac shrugged. “That's the very reason why it's only used behind closed doors, when a peer's legitimacy must be validated, and only the stronger resonances are accepted as proof. Otherwise, as you've stated, we would all begin picking up strays.”
Angeline smirked. “Hmmm, yes, and we can't have that.”
Her sister scratched her head with a single finger. “So, this is all very interesting, but do we even need this to make the claim? We have legal documents, David's status as a scion, and potential proof that some Amberfall noble houses are descendants of the Reign. Why would we need to find a noble bloodline that Rinka has resonance with?”
Angeline looked at her and smiled while shaking her head. “Sister, when dealing with nobles, you never have enough. The stronger your position, the more you can wrench from their greedy little hands.”
Niala's brows rose as she nodded. “Oooh! Wrenching things from the noble's greedy hands does sound like a worthy reason!”
Isaac coughed into his hand and waited for their attention before speaking.
They ignored him.
As everyone else at the table began discussing the following steps for Caleb's plan, he coughed again.
He needed a third attempt before Angeline turned her head toward him, but spoke before he could. “Lord Isaac, are you falling ill? Maybe those long hours into the evening have not been treating you so well.”
He frowned. “What? No! I'm perfectly healthy!”
She raised her shoulders. “Oh, well, see me reassured then.” She said with a smile before returning her attention to the ongoing discussion.
He tried holding his ground, staying silent, until someone addressed him.
But, as the conversation continued without him, his shoulders gradually slumped, and the gremlin woman's affront lost all meaning.
He ended up joining the conversation.
He never noticed the smile that flashed on Angeline's mouth when he did.
#67 is...
