Cedric folded his arms and rubbed his fingers against his thumbs. There was going to be a conversation in his future with a certain Witch. The fact she had lied about her knowledge of Lycoris was like a furious bull rampaging around in his mind, shattering the rest of his porcelain thoughts. He knew that she would be a wily one, a Human who would undoubtedly keep her secrets and had her own agenda, but the fact that Lilianna's spawn had encountered her and he heard nothing from Tatyana was grounds for killing her on the spot if he didn't like her excuse.  Unfortunately he couldn't afford to brood over it. Too much dissociation in the middle of Court and he'd draw the wrong sort of attention to himself. Especially considering Her Majesty had effectively thrown a bloody corpse into Piscin-infested waters.

As soon as Lilianna released the seal of silence on the chambers, Duchess Rialla stepped forward and scoffed, "Yes, debate. As though this wasn't all a ploy to further consolidate power beneath the Throne. Just in time for your little hand-picked prodigy to take over."  "Surely you can be more honest than that, Ochros."

From Cedric's left, a man in a beige suit with a bright pink undershirt and scarf stepped forward as well—one of Mano's toadies. The Margrave himself didn't seem particularly keen on making any move of his own, which stood to reason given he was likely slavering at the idea of getting even a sliver of the Vanas's monopoly.  The Mano were already expanding their control throughout the Empire with the growing presence of non-Vampiric races in their cities. "Food" had gone from animal-feed and a novelty to combat boredom, to something its own citizens relied on. Those with the most open fields and oversight over the agricultural industry saw incredible growth under Exaltare Lilianna's reign as a result. The Mano already controlled most of the Empire's lumber, fiber, and grain industries. If they got their hands on the blood industry as well, there almost wouldn't even be a reason for the Seven Families to exist.  Cedric suppressed his envy at how trivial it would be to corner the world in Danon Mano's shoes, and stepped forward to throw another hat into the ring. It'd be boring if things were too simple after all, and his curiosity had been piqued by that brash, inelegant display. Her fury towards him at Moonsend felt almost calculated in comparison.

"Now now, let us all remain cordial. We wouldn't wish to disturb Her Majesty with another outburst, hm?"  "Those are bold words, Your Grace," replied the Mano subordinate, "considering how distraught you were just three months ago."  "None would fault me for my disbelief. Not any more than Her Highness's own at how recklessly Aloba outed herself as a conspirator to… Humans."

The word felt disgusting on his tongue as he spat it out. Even if he was surprised at the sudden windfall of having a perfect patsy to cover for him. Perhaps that was part of Tatyana's "oraculations."  Still, there was a mystery Cedric needed to solve. And he had a golden opportunity to probe for an answer.

"Back to the topic Her Majesty presented to the floor, I would actually like to hear what Her Highness has to say."

A ripple of murmurs spread throughout the hall. The Heir-Significate herself looked momentarily taken aback, her eyes flicking up to gauge her mother's reaction before anything else. A sign that she was still woefully dependent and nowhere near prepared to succeed the throne.  Already a good sign, and while it was clear that the Exaltare had prepared talking points for her, the girl had gotten ahead of herself in her rage and likely spoken out of turn. Meaning she had wandered from the Exaltare's perfectly crafted script, and either stumbled into the accusations her mother was meant to push forth, or blundered and said something nobody was supposed to know. Bringing up Tatyana's name was a dangerous gamble, even for Her Majesty.  If Lilianna chose to answer Cedric's inquiry in her stead, it'd further cement just how ignorant and unprepared the so-called Heir-Significant was. It would be easy to sow seeds of doubt in the courtiers.  She knew it too, as the Exaltare said nothing. In response to Cedric's question, she turned away from him to face her daughter to hear her answer. Whether it was faith that she would be able to come up with a satisfyingly vague response, or willingness to throw her cub to the wolves, Cedric couldn't tell.

Seeing this, Lycoris blinked, then looked back at Cedric, before putting an elbow to her palm and cupping her chin as she tapped her frowning lips. If he wasn't so livid at her very existence, he would've considered it charming. It was the same sort of thing Dahlia did when considering a difficult topic.  In no rush to watch her likely fumble and blatantly admit that Lilianna plans to centralize it all under herself, Cedric kept his eyes trained on her as the room remained deathly silent.

"I fear that I am still naive in the grand scheme of courtly procedure. I will make no excuse for my lack of wisdom when it comes to our… storied history of politics. There is simply far too much ground to cover in the short time I have been here."

She fumbled slightly over herself as she tried to make excuses, and Cedric's smile grew wider.

"But, from what I do know, it sounds as though there are always seven families that share our lands and wealth equally. Or, at least are given equal weight in matters of how to run things. I assume there was a similar period after… mgh—I'd rather not bring her up given the implications but—after the Deyfros were annihilated by Lilith. I don't know exactly what their solution was back then, but we should look to their actions then as a foundation for how to proceed. Failing that, the most logical course of action I can think of is to distribute territories and industries by regional proximity and logistical simplicity.  "Avoiding confusion should be a priority, in particular with a family with secret assassins. Actually, splitting those among all the remaining families seems like it would be the wisest deterrent, and equally strengthen each of the families as we move forward. The presence of a Witch is not to be underestimated, and giving everyone their own ability to sniff her out seems beneficial.  "For the political side of things… I believe their vassals would feel most at home with the other traditionalists, meaning the Idra and Ochros. It would be foolish to force them to serve a master unwillingly, what we need right now is unity and coordination, lest we find ourselves crumbling from the inside. Frankly, I almost think it pointless to even bring it up, as vassals will always find their way to those who value their opinions the highest.  "And, though this might be the most contentious part, I believe it should be the responsibility of Mother and I to determine which family to elevate to eventually fill the gap… although I'm unsure how long that would realistically take, or what the process would even be like…"

As she trailed off, the room remained just as silent as when Lilianna had slammed the staff down.  At the lack of a response, she began fidgeting with her hands, almost affectionately flustered.

"Ahm, that is all my thoughts on the matter. I… hope I did not speak too out of turn or presumptuously."

But Cedric understood why everyone was silent. It was the same reason he'd said nothing himself.  It was an almost textbook answer. No, textbook would imply that she only understood matters at an academic level. It was clear that she had given thought to what each of the families would be after, what the real threat was and, much like her mother, quell disharmony by directing everyone towards that threat while subtly slipping in the most important part at the end. Refusing to take any part of the pie, but saying she would get to decide who would be the next baker was an extremely upsetting proposition. If they chose correctly, it could easily upset the balance between the Traditionalists and those batty Progressives. Unfortunately, It would be foolish to shoot down her idea outright, as it followed a natural understanding of how both Court and the Empire functioned. The Exaltare always had the final word, but the Seven needed to be kept satisfied with how she ruled, as a majority uniting against her could depose the ruler.  Theoretically at least. Cedric couldn't recall an Exaltare who had actually botched the position that egregiously. Usually it was other families causing problems, like the Vanas here, or the Deyfros or Tritias or Obnol…

"Naive in the grand scheme of things," my ass! What the hell is with this child?! Has she actually been here getting private tutelage since the instant she could speak? Has Lilianna been recording Court sessions in secret for her?! What the hell, Tatyana. What the hell are you keeping from me?!

Cedric ground his molars together as he realized he had no rebuttal for her remark. There were obvious holes he could poke, logistical problems and various other issues with actually implementing what she suggested—not to mention everyone would have to agree to split things up in such a manner—but he hadn't asked her to lay out a full solution. He'd just asked for her thoughts, assuming she'd continue to be the impulsive, emotionally driven child that she appeared to be.  The man bit back his frustration and instead applauded her with a cordial smile.

"A wonderful, if slightly simplistic answer, Your Highness. I believe it will make for a fantastic starting point—certainly far better than fruitless back and forth bickering."  "Cedric!" Rialla glowered at him. "You cannot seriously be taking her side in this! I thought you didn't even consider her a proper Heir-Significate!"  "That is that and this is this. Don't be a child, Rialla." Cedric raised an eyebrow when Her Highness winced, even though he wasn't addressing her. "…You know as well as I that this is an opportune chance to test this princess's mettle. I must add, I'm amused that she seems to have more restraint and understanding of how to allocate resources than some courtiers present. …You never truly believed we would be able to walk away with the whole bag, no?"

It was a bold and shameless statement, but Cedric didn't care. There was no point in hiding the obvious. He would have liked to get more out of Her Highness's answer, but the fact she'd chosen such an even-keeled middle ground meant the Idra would be able to vie for more than he honestly expected they'd get in the first place.  Instead, he'd just have to keep watching her for any other signs or tells.  Even with the Vanas out of the picture, the Idra had many, many vassals. Even ones that the other families believed to be their own. And the Ochros would likely be pushed even closer to the Idra with the power vacuum balancing between six instead of seven.

…Come to think of it, where is Tethos? Surely his shameless love for drama would have overruled his revulsion for Court.

While Cedric stepped back and glanced around for his other partner-in-crime, a Sefer representative stepped forward. "How shameless! And I disagree with Her Highness's answer to begin with! The Vanas's 'assets' should be split between the three real families."

Meaning the Sefer, Idra, and Drimus… technically the three most senior of the Seven, but it was a weak claim. Nobody cared about who came first, not even the Traditionalists. At least publically. And this move obviously gave said bloc a smaller relative slice of the pie, and also flew in the face of Her Highness's suggestion of arming everyone against Tatyana.  Obviously Cedric appreciated that aspect, but he could see the way the Exaltare stared through everyone.

While the courtier had addressed the Princess directly, another member of the Mano stepped forward to speak in her favor instead, "And what of the land, hm? Someone has to support Kranes County in rebuilding." And of course the Mano were the closest positioned to do so. "Not to mention, centralizing power at a time like this is…"  "Come to think of it," spoke Rialla, clacking her folding fan shut and thrusting it toward the Sefer, "was it not ghouls from your family that were responsible for the attack on the Palace?"  "…Yes, however they were vassals freed from Vanas servitude."  "Hmph, excuses. But you have touched upon my point exactly. We must be quite careful with who goes where." She turned to the Aphtangloa by the throne, curtseying and concealing her face with her fan. "As agreeable as it seems that Her Highness would offer all the Vanas's vassals to the Ochros and Idra, I would rather not be left with ticking timebombs."  "…"

The Princess had fallen completely silent while everyone else deliberated, shrinking behind her mother slightly.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.  As usual, Lilianna said nothing as she let the families dig their own graves and waited. Her style was one of letting the dust settle, then picking out the glittering spoils. Not even remotely a unique tactic among Exaltare prior, but one that the less war-hungry type tended to use.

"The Duchess raises a good point. Before we do anything with the Vanas's holdings, they need to be thoroughly examined. The idea of accidentally picking up a Witch's trap…" The Drimus member shivered. "I'd rather not—"  "Be not a coward, son."

Stepping forward from behind him was a broad-shouldered and imposing man with a light pink beard and slightly messy head of hair that ran down the back of his neck. He wore a white suit with a blue undershirt, and had what looked like a naval commander's coat hanging over his shoulders. Even if he didn't purposefully wear the large coat like a cloak, the man was… large.  Of course, signs of age were visible in the wrinkles on his face, but he probably dyed his hair to keep it immaculate. Cedric sighed internally as he was reminded of the decrepit Elders, though Archduke Agave Drimus was younger than Duke Benet Sefer, and both were like children compared to those basement-dwellers.  Cedric found the Archduke hard to get along with, even if they saw eye-to-eye on the proper measures to take against the lesser races. Though Agave's stance had softened after the Fangchasers "smooth" integration into life within the Empire.

"If those Humans want to destroy us from within, then let them try I say! We'll unearth whatever despicable traps they set and crush them. You can leave it to us, Dear."

Agave was exactly the sort of imperious person that'd rule with an iron fist. which only made it that much more bizarre that his daughter had apparently fallen quite far from the tree.  The man turned to face the Exaltare and proudly thumped a hand across his chest in a one-winged salute, as the slightest of frowns crossed her serene face. After a silent moment to comport herself, the Exaltare closed her eyes and shook her head.

"The Drimus will be required elsewhere, in lieu of the Geolle's failed coup. We would see thy hands maintain the tenuous relations we laid with the Piscin." She paused for a moment, as though considering whether to say the next piece, before adding, "And we know it has been a few decades since we last requested your particular presence in Court, but please remember where we stand, Archduke."  "Ahahaha! Of course, a thousand pardons, Your Majesty. Perhaps age has begun to catch up with me after all, and the complicated mixture of emotions from seeing so fiery a temper from my granddaughter."  "Bffghhhck?!"

From behind the Exaltare, a strange sound escaped the Heir-Significate's pursed lips. It seemed that Her Majesty had kept the details of her child even from her former family.

"You have no idea how surprised I was by that Moonsend broadcast! Even if you hadn't invited me back to attend today, I was practically scrambling for an excuse out of my obligations to meet her."

Even after marching toward the throne and taking a knee, the man still towered over the startled Heir-Significate.  Just as Lilianna was about to no doubt reprimand him once more, he lowered his head in deference and spoke in a softened tone, compared to his previous bassy rumbling.

"Don't worry, Your Highness, regardless of how things are settled today, your grandfather's army won't rest until every trace of that vile Party's influence is wiped from existence."

He raised his head again and smiled at her, arms resting on his knee as she returned the gesture with a briefly awkward, but polite and reserved nod.

＊　＊　＊

The entirety of Court—at least, the important parts—passed like a blur before Lycoris's eyes. She was, admittedly, rather distracted by the head of the Drimus family approaching her in such a manner. Somehow, she hadn't expected anyone from Lilianna's immediate family to still be alive, even if that made no sense. There obviously had to be other Drimus, but… the idea that the Exaltare could have a father and that he could still be leader of his own family had never crossed her mind.  If that was all to it though, she would've been just fine. The real issue was how… militaristic he was. It certainly explained partially why she felt so at-home with Lilianna in her strict daily regimen. But the way he'd made a point of promising the deaths of everyone tied to the Hero's Party was, complicated.  After all, Lycoris and Mizar were technically right there in the room with him. And she'd rather wring Tatyana's neck herself, but there was no way for her to explain why it was so personal to her without revealing the former.

Plus, she had never personally even thought of… extended family. Sure there was Rosa, who she wanted to speak to in private, but the idea of grandparents never even crossed her mind.  Once the Seven… or, Six, reached their daily limit for bickering and began discussing among their own ranks how to proceed or otherwise making smalltalk with each other, Lycoris tugged on the hem of her mother's dress.

"Is our little flower growing tired? Don't worry, Court is almost done for the day, you'll only have to bear with it for a little longer."  Lycoris shook her head and spoke in a hushed tone, "No, no it's not that. I was actually wondering, um… are there any other relatives I should know about? Mm, no wait, that came out wrong. I meant—"  "Ah, yes. We are rather distant from our former family, 'tis true. But it worked in our favor with regards to you. If you wish to speak to our father, you may. He is rather… difficult to miss. Or, if you're tired, we can arrange a teatime at a later date!"  "More that I was taken off-guard, and wanted to find out if there were any other surprises. Like… other siblings."  "Ahahaha!" A boisterous voice cut over their hushed whispers, as somehow the hulking devil in question had silently snuck up on them. "Well, little Rosa and Lily have quite a few cousins, but my wife joined our Ancestors a fair few centuries ago. At least she got to see one of our kids take the throne! Even if there were a few hiccups along the way."

Agave Drimus gave Lilianna a hearty pat on the back, before pulling his hand away as though he'd just impaled it upon the spines of a needlehogg when she irately glared up at him. Which she had to raise her head slightly to do, considering she only came up to his shoulders. He was like a hill giant out of legends, at least from Lycoris's perspective.

"We are still in Court, Drimus." Lilianna's tone sent a shiver through Lycoris's spine, but the Archduke seemed unfazed.  "Don't be so shy, Your Majesty. You have quite a lot to take pride in, not the least of which is this little miracle hiding behind your legs. I'd say I can't believe you never told her about me, but sadly that's all too believable, knowing how you've handled your rule."  "There's quite a detailed history of Exaltare that maintained strong ties with their prior family failing before they even began."  "But come on, a grandkid! You and your sister were always going on about it as childr—"  "That's quite enough, Father. If you wish to speak to Lycoris, behave yourself."  "…Yes Dea— Your Majesty."

Seeing such a behemoth of a man droop his shoulders was rather amusing, but Lycoris couldn't help but feel somewhat sorry for him. Perhaps it wasn't the time or place for it, but he was clearly just a very proud father. Something she'd read about, if never experienced.  Deciding to take the initiative, Lycoris smoothed out her anxieties along with the wrinkles of her dress and stepped around her mother to curtsey before the military man.

"Good evening, Your Grace. I apologize for being so taken aback earlier, my name is Lycoris Aster Aphtangloa, daughter of Her Majesty Lilianna Majalis Aphtangloa. It is a pleasure to formally make your acquaintance."  "…Hnnng, how are you so— No, calm yourself, Agave…"

He clenched his hands and turned away, clearing his throat. The man was clearly that sort of doter. Lycoris had no firsthand experience, but her former position as knight-lieutenant had her meet all sorts of individuals, including those who cared just a little too much for their own family.  The Archduke quickly recovered and reached down to roughly pat her head.

"You are the spitting image of your mother at your age, Princess Lycoris. Well, setting aside the hair of course! Ahahaha! And just as sharp to boot! Tell me, Lily, has—"  "Archduke."  "Your Majesty, has she already begun attending Alephertz? She looks to be old enough, and that initial suggestion was quite well thought out for being put on the spot like that! Or, no I suppose even you wouldn't be able to keep her secret in that case."  Lycoris tilted her head. "Alephertz? My apologies Your Grace, I'm not sure what—"  "Oh don't worry about calling me that, Agave is fine, or pappap!"  "Eh…"  "She has not, no. We have been privately tutoring her up until now."  "Well well, explains why she's so attached to you! Hey, wanna give ol' grampy Agave a hug? Lessee how strong you are."

He crouched down again and opened his arms wide, like a Plainstrider about to crush her like a grape. She'd be lying if she said it wasn't remotely intimidating.  But rather than dwell about heroes and Vampires and all that, she decided it would be best to humor him. If only to get him to be slightly less obsessed about the idea of having a granddaughter.

Without consulting her mother for approval, she inched forward sheepishly, wrapped her arms around his trunk-like torso, and squeezed… moderately tightly. She wasn't sure if she could crush his bones, but she didn't really want to find out.

"Hahaha, come on now that can't be all you got, can it? Come on, gramps can take more than that!"

He ruffled her hair and wrapped an arm around her back as he stood up with her clinging to his side. While it wasn't a great shift in altitude, it still reminded Lycoris of her flying training, and without even needing his cajoling, tensed up and…

CRUNCH!

"…That's… more like it."  Lilianna cocked an eyebrow, failing to mask her smug amusement. "Are you alright, Archduke?"  "Hahh…" he wheezed, "I think she might've broken a rib."  "I'm sorry!" Lycoris exclaimed. She squinted her eyes shut and forced herself to let go, dropping to the floor where she curled her arms against her chest. "I—"  "Proves that you're her flesh and blood beyond any shadow of doubt I'd have! …Not that I was testin', mind." He shot a tender glance toward Lilianna as he held a hand over his rib and inhaled sharply. A moment later, he stroked his fingers through his beard, seemingly unbothered. "I bet she'll be picking me up by the time she's a hundred though. Speaking of, how old are you, li'l Lyco?"

She wanted to object to being called "little," but… it was fairly accurate when the man in question was probably twice her height.  Lycoris closed her eyes and lowered her hands, her ears drooping sadly as she prepared herself for the inevitable response after replying,

"Forty-six…"  "Hot hells, only forty-six?!" the man bellowed, briefly causing the entire court to pause and look their way. "Guess that explains why you're so tiny still, here I thought you had a whole extra decade on that with how clever an answer you gave." He glanced towards Lilianna with a wide smirk and whispered with surprising quietude, "it was all off the dome, right? You looked rather confounded when Good ol' Cider pressed her on that."  "Yes…" she mumbled in response, "fortunately, our daughter is gifted with a natural talent we did not even have to nurture within."  "Oh don't be so modest, you've raised a fine child. And what'll hopefully be a right proper heiress, eh?" He crouched down to lightly elbow Lycoris in the shoulder.

Despite his routine reminding her of how many of Dauwen's knights behaved, Lycoris was too taken aback and flustered over the genuine adulation her mother crowned her with. It was one thing to hear her heap platitudes in private, but when it was in a more public conversation like this, where everything felt more candid, she was unprepared for how it'd feel.

"H-Honestly… *ahem,* truthfully I'm more concerned that my every arrival to Court will be heralded with some unprecedented disaster. I'd rather not be the 'Princess of Ill Omens,' or some such…"  "Ahaha, there's no need to worry over that, li'l Lyco."  "Should I crawl up to pinch your ear, Archduke?" Lycoris deadpanned as her mother put a hand to her mouth to conceal her amusement.  "Now now, you're just a little tyke, let your gramps finish. As I was saying, we're all used to dealing with enough nonsense from the Humans and other types we share this continent with. A little revolt here or there doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things! If anything, seeing one of the Seven fall has really livened up my decade!"  "Ah… Huh…" Lycoris was somewhat dumbfounded by his view on things, but perhaps it was a positive that he seemed to take everything in stride.  "My daughter's quite the master strategizer though. Just when I thought she was starting to lose her ruthless edge, she goes and buries an entire town to send a message to that stupid Witch! Hah! And I bet that reminded those uppity pebbles what their rightful place is, hmph!"  "Father."  "She… Wha?"

Lycoris's eyes went wide, as she finally heard what befell the Geolle city.

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