Mansion Lowblom 5 - Days passed

Lacos never got an answer why Sarine didn’t show the shard. Well, he also never asked. ‘It is not my place to tell the princess what to do, only to counsel her whenever he feels unsteady.’ He reminded himself on the occasion. Tlaxacala would disapprove of him meddling to much with Sarine’s decisions themselves instead of the way she got to them. It was a fine line to walk.

Just like the line he had to walk right now. “All I am asking.” Said a very, very tired Stef. “Is that you tone it down a bit.” He was speaking to him and Reiline as all four of them said around a table on Sarine’s quarters balcony. “What? You didn’t like it?” The maid tried to play over her shame, which was a futile effort as she was beet red. “No.” Stef was too tired to attempt a word duel with Reiline.

“I am very sorry.” Lacos said and smiled in a reinsuring way. “And what are you going to do about it?” The knight asked with crossed arms. That was a bit of a hard question. “Well…I guess I could try to have Reiline moan into a pillow?” He asked and promptly received two annoyed stares from both Reiline and Stef. “Guess not.” He therefore stated and looked to Sarine for help.

The queen of Falbrein was giving him a shamed glance and cleared her throat. “Your fun aside.” She finally said to Reiline. “In the future please try to remain quiet. We are in a noble’s household after all.”

“Yes, sorry, Queen Sarine.” Reiline mumbled and looked to the ground. Stef tried to make a triumphant noise that ended up as a yawn instead. “While we are on the topic of sex though, Sarine.” Lacos said and pulled the attention back to him. “Have you noticed the way Lowblom looks at you?”

Sarine sighed and rubbed her eyes. She had gotten very little sleep as well. For the same reason as Stef but her answer to Reiline’s question would have been a shameful opposite. “How could I not notice? He is leering at me at pretty much every occasion.”

Lacos nodded. Since their private conversation on the day of their arrival Logar and Sarine only had a few smaller conversations, all of them in public. However it took a blind man to not notice that he was staring at her whenever he thought himself unwatched. “He might not be the worst noble around if the way he treats his subjects is any measurement.” Stef grumbled, “But he has to work on his decency.”

“You are just to stuck up.” Lacos mused. “Yeah!” Reiline agreed. The clinking of metal against porcelain as Sarine stirred a cup of tea in front of her. She sighed. “It is times like these that I am reminded that you two are commoners. On court we have rules for behaviour.” Lacos shrugged, “I get that, Sarine, I just choose not to take them to seriously when I don’t need to.”

“Evidently.” Stef said, “Address people with their title, lizard.” “Stef, Stef, Stef.” Lacos grinned, “How dare you not call me MEDIC Lacos. Actually, ROYAL MEDIC.” Stef glared daggers at the Drakonoid who kept smiling. Sarine took a sip of her tea before speaking up again. “Why are you bringing this up anyway, Lacos?” She asked.

“I wonder why I am?” The medic in questions mused to himself. “I was just wondering if you were aware of that route.” “Are you saying our Queen should seduce a common noble?” Stef growled. “I am saying no such thing, I am merely hinting at the possibility.” Lacos looked over the railing to his left, he didn’t need to look at Sarine to know that she was shifting uncomfortably, sheltered young thing that she was.

They all knew something needed to happen sooner rather than later. The people on this party were friendly, ecstatic even, about her presence. Many were loyal, many more easily swayed but most of them were of no help to her cause. She needed what Logar Lowblom had, the location, the technologies he had been hiding. Without this initial boost to her stance Sarine’s further rise would be messier than it needed to be.

Maybe there was only one correct choice here. Sarine took a deep breath before finishing her tea and getting up. “We should prepare for the ball tonight.” She decided and went into her room.